Related: Have Yourself a Healthy Little Christmas
And a $ick New Year:
"What many people do not realize is that the penalties go up significantly in 2015."
Especially the kids.
"Being uninsured in America could cost you" by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Associated Press December 30, 2014
WASHINGTON — Being uninsured in America will cost you more in 2015.
It’s the first year all taxpayers have to report to the Internal Revenue Service whether they had health insurance for the previous year, as required under President Obama’s law. Those who were uninsured face fines, unless they qualify for one of about 30 exemptions, most of which involve financial hardships.
Dayna Dayson of Phoenix estimates that she will have to pay the taxman $290 when she files her federal return. Dayson, who is in her early 30s, works in marketing and does not have a lot left over each month after housing, transportation, and other fixed costs. She would like health insurance but she could not afford it in 2014, as required by the law.
‘‘It’s touted as this amazing thing, but right now, for me, it doesn’t fit into my budget,’’ she said.
Ryan Moon of Des Moines graduated from college in 2013 with a bachelor’s in political science and is still hunting for a permanent job with benefits. He expects to pay a fine of $95. A supporter of the health care law, he feels conflicted about its insurance mandate and fines.
‘‘I hate the idea that you have to pay a penalty, but at the same time, it helps other people,’’ said Moon, who is in his early 20s. ‘‘It really helps society, but society has to be forced to help society.’’
Going without health insurance has always involved financial risks. You could have an accident and end up with thousands of dollars in medical bills.
Now, you may also get fined. In a decision that allowed Obama’s law to advance, the Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that the coverage requirement and its accompanying fines were a constitutionally valid exercise of Congress’ authority to tax.
In 2015, all taxpayers have to report to the IRS on their health insurance status the previous year. Most will check a box. It is also when the IRS starts collecting fines from some uninsured people and deciding if others qualify for exemptions.
Forgive me for the melancholy regarding the politicized IRS, the illegal wealth confiscation arm of the Federal Reserve bankers. The agency has been scandalized even if the propaganda pre$$ and politicians bury it; however, how are they going to be able to take on these other massive duties and all your confidential health information when they are failing so miserably?
What many people do not realize is that the penalties go up significantly in 2015. Only 3 percent of uninsured people know what the fine for 2015 will be, according to a recent poll by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
Figuring out your potential exposure if you are uninsured is not simple.
For 2014, the fine is the greater of $95 per person or 1 percent of household income above the threshold for filing taxes. It will jump in 2015 to the greater of 2 percent of income or $325. By 2016, the average fine will be about $1,100, based on government figures.
People can get a sense of the potential hit by going online and using the Tax Policy Center’s Affordable Care Act penalty calculator.
Is it actually working, or.... ????
Many taxpayers may be able to get a pass. Based on congressional analysis, tax preparation giant H&R Block says roughly 4 million uninsured people will pay penalties and 26 million will qualify for exemptions from the list of more than 30 waivers.
But it is unclear whether taxpayers are aware of the exemptions.
Deciding what kind of waiver to seek could be crucial. Some can be claimed directly on a tax return, but others involve mailing paperwork to the Department of Health and Human Services. Tax preparation companies say the IRS has told them it is taking steps to make sure taxpayers’ returns do not languish in bureaucratic limbo while HHS rules on their waivers.
TurboTax has created a free online tool called ‘‘Exemption Check’’ for people to see if they may qualify for a waiver. Charges apply later if the taxpayer files through TurboTax.
Timing will be critical for uninsured people who want to avoid the rising penalties for 2015 , because Feb. 15 is the last day of open enrollment under the health law. After that, only people with special circumstances can sign up. But just 5 percent of uninsured people know the correct deadline, according to the Kaiser poll.
‘‘We could be looking at a real train wreck after Feb. 15,’’ said Stan Dorn, a policy expert at the nonpartisan Urban Institute. ‘‘People will file their tax returns and learn they are subject to a much larger penalty for 2015, and they can do absolutely nothing to avoid that.’’
And the approval for Obummercare drops again!
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Related: Health-care enrollment for 2015 plans tops 7 million
According to a pair of federal reports (into the trash they go).
It's about half of what they needed, but it's all good.
At least the poor are being taken care of.... right?
"Cuts in Medicaid payments threaten access to care" by Robert Pear, New York Times December 28, 2014
WASHINGTON — Just as millions of people are gaining insurance through Medicaid, the program is poised to make deep cuts in payments to many doctors, prompting some physicians and consumer advocates to warn that the reductions could make it more difficult for Medicaid patients to obtain care.
The Affordable Care Act provided a big increase in Medicaid payments for primary care in 2013 and 2014. But the increase expires Thursday — just weeks after the Obama administration told the Supreme Court that doctors and other providers had no legal right to challenge the adequacy of payments they received from Medicaid.
The effects will vary by state, but a study by the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan research organization, estimates that doctors who have been receiving the enhanced payments will see their fees for primary care cut by 43 percent, on average.
Holy $hit!
Stephen Zuckerman, a health economist at the Urban Institute and co-author of the report, said Medicaid payments for primary care services could drop by 50 percent or more in California, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania, among other states. Such payments are projected to be cut 30 percent in Massachusetts.
In his budget request in March, President Obama proposed a one-year extension of the higher Medicaid payments. Several Democratic members of Congress backed the idea, but the proposals languished, and such legislation would appear to face long odds in the new Congress, with Republicans controlling both houses.
Did you see what they did get done and what Obama did sign?
Welcome to the increasingly-overcrowded boat, doc.
Dr. David A. Fleming, the president of the American College of Physicians, which represents specialists in internal medicine, said some patients would have less access to care after the cuts. It would make no sense to reduce Medicaid payments “at a time when the population enrolled in Medicaid is surging,” he said.
Hey, this government never makes sense -- but it does make $en$e!
Dr. George J. Petruncio, a family physician in Turnersville, N.J., described the cuts as a “bait and switch” move.
Toldja!
“The government attempted to entice physicians into Medicaid with higher rates, then lowers reimbursement once the doctors are involved,” he said.
But Nicole Brossoie, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, which runs the state’s Medicaid program, said the increase was not meant to be permanent.
“It was always understood to be temporary,” Brossoie said.
The White House says Medicaid is contributing to the “largest coverage gains in four decades,” with 9.7 million people added to the Medicaid rolls since October 2013, bringing the total to 68.5 million. More than one-fifth of Americans are now covered by Medicaid.
But federal officials have not set forth a strategy to expand access to care with enrollment, and in many states, Medicaid payment rates for primary care services will fall back to levels widely seen as inadequate.
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Related:
Governors, lawmakers clash over Medicaid plan
Arizona’s high court allows Medicaid expansion lawsuit
They are simply courting your health.
Time to connect you with this.... or not:
"Nearly 50,000 pay for care through Health Connector; Response surpasses state’s expectations" by Felice J. Freyer, Globe Staff December 29, 2014
Nearly 50,000 people have purchased 2015 health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector, a number that exceeds state officials’ expectations even amid lengthy call center waits and a sometimes frustrating payment system.
Although enrollments continue for six more weeks, the Connector passed a major milestone Sunday.
****************
Although the Connector serves only a minority of Massachusetts residents, the agency’s actions bear significance statewide: It is the taxpayer-financed cornerstone of the 2006 law that raised the health insurance rate to 97 percent of the state population and became the model for the federal Affordable Care Act.
Then I guess it is performing exactly as expected.
The enrollment data so far lend credence to officials’ assertions that the website — rebuilt over the past year after its notorious failure in 2013 — is performing its chief functions: But enrollment has not been problem-free.
Sigh.
Still, Lora M. Pellegrini, president of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, said, “we’re feeling much more optimistic, but there is much more work to be done.”
That leaves me feeling pessimistic.
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Related:
Health Connector’s payment system down near deadline
Connector glitches mar sign-up, undermine promises
It's still not fixed!
Health insurer reaches out to customers
Details of move to drop health care proposal promised in Vermont
They gave up on the single-payer, Sicko-type plans we all wanted.
Governor not worried about Vermont election decision
Maybe he should be.
I've No Energy For Blogging
I must be sick.
NEXT DAY UPDATES:
Health care site has a few glitches
But it's only for a "small number of people," believe them.
That's what the extra $250 million in repairs bought.
Obamacare Architects At Harvard Furious After Learning They Are Not Exempt From Obamacare
That did NOT make my Globe.
