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No, because the health insurance lobby won't go for that. The ACA is big business welfare.
You got that right. Not happening in the US in my lifetime or that of my kids. That's why I say, if you can't lick 'em, join 'em. INVEST in the businesses that are gouging you.
As I just posted on another thread, DH has to get an ACA plan for two months before Medicare kicks in. He made out great last year with a plan with a $1500. OOP, but this year, the best he can get is $6400. I feel very sorry for those of you who must suffer this hugely expensive fiasco for years and years.
All I can say to those who thought this was a good idea is, I told you so.
If you can't afford it and don't qualify for a waiver,then don't buy it - and pay the fine. No one will put you in jail.
For 2015, the fine is 2% of your income, or $325x2 - or $650 - whichever is higher for both of you. If you're paying anything more than $650/yr., you'll save money.
In 2016, the fine is 2.5% of income, or $695x2 - $1,390 - whichever is higher for both of you. If your premiums in 2016 are higher than $1,390/yr., you'll save money.
You won't even have to pay these fines - via increase in your tax liability - until April 15 of 2016 and 2017.
Give yourself and your budget a break - pay the fine. If something terrible happens. the ERs still have to stabilize you (at taxpayer expense).
You are NOT forced to buy insurance. So, don't. Of course, you live with the consequences and hope disaster doesn't befall.
Do you want the wealthy to pay insurance premiums five/six/ten/twenty times that of ours. Fyi, higher income people DO PAY MORE - by quite lot - for their Medicare coverage.
So, what do you mean by fair share? Fair share of what?
I never said fair share. I think it's B.S that they don't have to sign up for Obamacare. Congress, should have to sign up for this crap as well! This ISN'T what the people wanted! Those who did are fools. Make those who wrote this law sign up for it as well. I !
I never heard not having to pay the penalty until 2016/2017 we were told differently. The website below say's nothing about waiting to 2016/2017.
I'm not going to buy into this fear you seem to be selling about taking my chances it's my life. I would rather have insurance that pays my bills IF I get hurt. We go hiking a lot & there is always a chance one of us could fall & break something. Yes, health insurance for everyone is a good idea but it should be affordable & this is not. The working class is being crushed by this. The bill needs to be re-written OR be done with. Paying the fine doesn't work either we need the income tax.
I have heard Congressperson/Senator over and over on C-Span daily say they are now buying on the exchanges just like everyone else. We discussed that upthread. Did you bother to read it? Congress and staff were FORCED to go to the exchanges.
Quote:
Originally Posted by reed067
I never heard not having to pay the penalty until 2016/2017 we were told differently. The website below say's nothing about waiting to 2016/2017.
Read that link again. The penalty is treated as a TAX.
IRS is euphemistically calling this TAX a "shared responsibility payment." Per the IRS:
Quote:
If you or any of your dependents don’t have minimum essential coverage and don’t have an exemption, you will need to make an individual shared responsibility payment on your tax return.
Therefore, if you don't buy insurance, the penalty is added to your taxes when you file for 2015. 1040 will have line item added for this "shared responsibility payment."
The FILING DATE for 2015 is April 15, 2016. So, you're home free until then 4/15/2016. Same with 2016 taxes - you're home free until 2017.
Quote:
Originally Posted by reed067
I'm not going to buy into this fear you seem to be selling about taking my chances it's my life.
Say, what???? I'm not selling fear. I personally have found health insurance to be a net negative in my life. I've never got out of it what I've paid into it, and still don't. But, I've been criticized on this board for even mentioning the option of no insurance, without, at the same time, warning of the consequences. Therefore, my statement on consequences, so others don't jump all over me, yet again.
Oh, the irony. You telling me I'm selling "fear" - when others have told me I'm selling "irresponsibility" if I don't caution on consequences. Just can't win.. LOL....
Quote:
Originally Posted by reed067
Yes, health insurance for everyone is a good idea but it should be affordable & this is not. The working class is being crushed by this.
Actually, not everyone is being crushed. I've heard many, many, many callers on C-Span who finally were able to get coverage for $300-$400/mo., some for much less, some with a zero premium, which they consider a godsend. Most people in your income bracket are quite happy with the ACA. Some of the Silver plans provide lower copays for a lot of things, so the deductibles are not always an issue - especially if your income is low enough, which yours might be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by reed067
Paying the fine doesn't work either we need the income tax.
You can't change the law, BUT you can change what it is costing you.
Which is less? The penalty/tax/'shared responsibility payment' - or your insurance premiums?
What are your premiums for Silver plan you have right now??? Have you considered a Bronze plan? If your expenses are so little, buy the cheapest policy you can and pay for all your day-to-day medical expenses out-of-pocket.
You should get with a GOOD insurance broker and find a plan less expensive than the one you have if you really feel your premiums are too high. You might have a policy you don't need at this time in your life.
Shame you live in NC. That state seems to do everything in its power to keep its people poor and uninformed. NC stopped paying federal unemployment benefits SIX MONTHS BEFORE the program actually ended. NC cut its unemployment benefit by a third, from $520 to $350. NC reduced the number of weeks it will pay to about 16, from 26. Gotta love NC. Great state if you're educated and have money. Poor and uneducated - not so much.
Last edited by Ariadne22; 12-10-2014 at 11:51 PM..
Um, all insurance policies carry an implied shared financial impact to the insureds. There is no surprise in that.
The debacle of obamacare aside, one of the basis of an insurance company or insurance is to combine the risks from a variety of sources (the people buying the policies) and distributing them among all policy holders.
As for obamacare, vote.
I understand that insurance carries an implied shared financial impact. I should have been more clear in my thread title.
In the past, you could tailor your insurance more easily to fit your needs. For instance, you could choose a policy that didn't offer a "maternity rider." Or if, as in my case, you had recently had surgery on a torn tendon, your insurance policy could state that that particular tendon wasn't covered for two years. This effectively lowered the rate. Now - under the ACA - neither of those scenarios exist, for either the insured or the insurance company, so of course the rates are higher. Now I'm paying for everyone else who has a baby. And everyone else is (in theory) paying for future right Achilles tendon issues I might have - except that tendon is fixed and fully recovered so that's a moot point. Meanwhile people keep having babies.
So this is basically a tax - except it's the INSURANCE COMPANY who gets the profit?????? This is one whacked out system.
I don't care how you cut it - nearly $1200 a month with a $5000 deductible EACH is such a ridiculous rate, it's almost unbelievable. No - it IS unbelievable - someone please wake me up! When you have no subsidy, no employer helping with the cost, and the plan is ineligible for even a Health Savings Account and that tiny tax cut - it feels like you're trapped and screwed over simultaneously.
And thanks to everyone who has sent me websites and info for possibly cheaper rates. Unfortunately, the BCBS plan we have chosen is, unbelievably, the cheapest plan I've been able to find. Due to my husband's travel, we have to have a plan that is multi-state.
Wherever do you get your news? Have you read ANYTHING on this thread? Your statement was debunked pages ago on this thread, here:.
I have heard Congressperson/Senator over and over on C-Span daily say they are now buying on the exchanges just like everyone else. We discussed that upthread. Did you bother to read it? Congress and staff were FORCED to go to the exchanges.
Read that link again. The penalty is treated as a TAX.
IRS is euphemistically calling this TAX a "shared responsibility payment." Per the IRS:Therefore, if you don't buy insurance, the penalty is added to your taxes when you file for 2015. 1040 will have line item added for this "shared responsibility payment."
The FILING DATE for 2015 is April 15, 2016. So, you're home free until then 4/15/2016. Same with 2016 taxes - you're home free until 2017.
Say, what???? I'm not selling fear. I personally have found health insurance to be a net negative in my life. I've never got out of it what I've paid into it, and still don't. But, I've been criticized on this board for even mentioning the option of no insurance, without, at the same time, warning of the consequences. Therefore, my statement on consequences, so others don't jump all over me, yet again.
Oh, the irony. You telling me I'm selling "fear" - when others have told me I'm selling "irresponsibility" if I don't caution on consequences. Just can't win.. LOL....
Actually, not everyone is being crushed. I've heard many, many, many callers on C-Span who finally were able to get coverage for $300-$400/mo., some for much less, some with a zero premium, which they consider a godsend. Most people in your income bracket are quite happy with the ACA. Some of the Silver plans provide lower copays for a lot of things, so the deductibles are not always an issue - especially if your income is low enough, which yours might be.
You can't change the law, BUT you can change what it is costing you.
Which is less? The penalty/tax/'shared responsibility payment' - or your insurance premiums?
What are your premiums for Silver plan you have right now??? Have you considered a Bronze plan? If your expenses are so little, buy the cheapest policy you can and pay for all your day-to-day medical expenses out-of-pocket.
You should get with a GOOD insurance broker and find a plan less expensive than the one you have if you really feel your premiums are too high. You might have a policy you don't need at this time in your life.
Shame you live in NC. That state seems to do everything in its power to keep its people poor and uninformed. NC stopped paying federal unemployment benefits SIX MONTHS BEFORE the program actually ended. NC cut its unemployment benefit by a third, from $520 to $350. NC reduced the number of weeks it will pay to about 16, from 26. Gotta love NC. Great state if you're educated and have money. Poor and uneducated - not so much.
Not exactly sure if I believe that Obama & congress had to sign up for the bill. My opinion of anyone in office has never been that high. Got a video of our elected idiots signing said bill? How do I know that we won't be charged for that time all at once for 2016/2017? Yes, we have the silver plan and its has the lowest co-pay for us of the three. Asheville is one of the most expensive places to live in NC the only reason we stay is because of my wife's kids. I would like to move where there are better jobs then what there is here. Finally, I'm sorry for going off on you last night this has put a HUGE strain on us.
There are more HSA compatible plans offered this year than last - everywhere. Are there no HSA plans offered in your area by other carriers?? Why must you keep the plan you have?
There may be an HSA plan offered by other carriers, but if there is, they are MUCH more expensive ($200-$300 more a month). This additional cost would quickly negate any tax savings we would see. The BCBS plan we settled on was the least expensive plan we could find that meets our needs. And it has a huge deductible so that HSA would have really come in handy.
Quote:
If you can't afford it and don't qualify for a waiver,then don't buy it - and pay the fine. No one will put you in jail.
For 2015, the fine is 2% of your income, or $325x2 - or $650 - whichever is higher for both of you. If you're paying anything more than $650/yr., you'll save money.
In 2016, the fine is 2.5% of income, or $695x2 - $1,390 - whichever is higher for both of you. If your premiums in 2016 are higher than $1,390/yr., you'll save money.
You won't even have to pay these fines - via increase in your tax liability - until April 15 of 2016 and 2017.
Give yourself and your budget a break - pay the fine. If something terrible happens. the ERs still have to stabilize you (at taxpayer expense).
You are NOT forced to buy insurance. So, don't. Of course, you live with the consequences and hope disaster doesn't befall.
I personally think it is the height of irresponsibility not to carry health insurance - I will not do it. At age 52, I have been around long enough to see how suddenly one might need health insurance.
My issue isn't with buying and maintaining health insurance - it's with the fact that my policy DOUBLED in price, and now includes all sorts of things I'm paying for - and don't need. And this is the highest deductible I've ever had in my life. The deductible itself is so crushing that it creates situations where people may get sick or need care in the latter part of a year, but put it off till January because they don't want to have to pay a $5000 deductible twice in the matter of a few months.
No, because the health insurance lobby won't go for that. The ACA is big business welfare.
I agree with this, but watch and see - I am willing to bet that the insurance companies somehow get placated and we go to a single payer healthcare system within ten years - or less.
But I also think that the health insurance companies may be being taken for a ride and manipulated into supporting the ACA, not realizing that the ACA is intentionally bringing us just one step closer to government provided healthcare - because there's one particular entity that is more greedy and more power hungry and more ruthless and more deceptive than the health insurance lobby: The federal government.
I don't care how you cut it - nearly $1200 a month with a $5000 deductible EACH is such a ridiculous rate, it's almost unbelievable. No - it IS unbelievable - someone please wake me up! When you have no subsidy, no employer helping with the cost, and the plan is ineligible for even a Health Savings Account....
Right - and we are a small piece of the pie - and financially "healthy" as well, so no one cares that we're screwed and tattooed. I don't know about you, but in addition to this, our CPA told us last year to hold onto our hats because our taxes were about to go out the roof in 2014, and get even worse in 2015. We're already paying out the nose every year as it is. I can't remember the last time I wrote a check on April 15 that didn't have two numbers in front of the three zeroes. And those two first numbers keep getting bigger and bigger.
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