Pay a Penalty

Americans who don't get qualified health insurance will be required to pay penalties starting in 2014, unless they are exempt because of low income, religious beliefs, or because they are members of American Indian tribes. The penalties will be fully phased in by 2016.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100422/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_taxes

[nygirl7]

Well maybe if more people have insurance then we'll have less hepatitis C because they will do treatment.  :)

It's a better alternative than the millions out of work people now who have nothing because Cobra costs a family like $600 a month and an unemployment check is less than that.

[HectorSF]

NYgirl, couldn't agree more.

Funny how everyone that drives a car needs car insurance. Why? Because we as tax payers will have to pay the cost of the property damage and physical injuries incurred during an accident if the drivers are uninsured.

But when someone makes the choice not to be medically insured and needs medical treatment, somehow these people have "the right" to have tax payers and hospitals pay for the uninsured. ???
And these people profess to be against the government wasting tax payers money?
Where is the logic?

If we don't have more healthy people in the insurance pool insured who's going to pay for all the doctor visits and treatments us heppers and cirrhotics need. In fact it was the insurance companies that made the deal with the administration that they would only "support" the healthcare overhaul bill if they got more people to insure. Another 21 million people to sell insurance to. That is called expanding your market.

And what about us cirrhotics with a "preexisting condition". If we loose are company's insurance you have to be independently wealthy to afford having insurance.

Cheers!
HectorSF

[sh625]

I can certainly relate to the cost of Cobra and the unemployment income.For the first 15 months of Cobra my previous employer is required to pay 65% of the cost of my Cobra which I am still out close to 400 a month.The last 3 months its going to cost me right at a 1000 bucks a month.Husband will have 6 month post treatment VL in June.Uninfortunately Cobra ends in Feb.Worst part is I checked with BCBS whom I have had insuarance with for the last 12 years and they told me when Cobra ends and I pick up a individual family plan with them that there IS a preexisting clause of 365 days.I give up.On the bright side of it all at least I do have insuarance to carry him through the treatment.By the time I pay Cobra and then all the deductibles there is no unemployment left.Wish he could get some kind of short term disability till the end.Unless there is a way to strap a toilet to his chest and a elevator installed in every house that needs a metal roof he won't be working till he is done.
THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO VENT:) I NEEDED THAT!!!

[RCM829]

nygirl7 and HectorSF: Without going into the gory details of my own treatment adventure, I am so with you both on this one! And sh625, you are hilarious...
hang in there!

[Isobella]

I've always thought that one of the reasons there isn't regular screening or testing for HCV is because it would cost the government too much if they had to pay for all that tx'ing.  

We always hear  that "you'll probably die with it, not from it."  I think there will be loopholes like there are with HIV.  Insurance won't pay for tx if you aren't symptomatic, but like HCV, it could be the best time to tx...before you get ill enough to have symptoms.  

I sure hope I'm just a pessimist and all this works out for our benefit........

Isobella

[IAmTheWalrus]

We also need more rich people to pay the taxes that the poor can't How do we make more people rich?