The individual mandate - is it or isn't it a tax?

[derby378]

President Barack Obama's acting budget director has said that the challenged mandate in federal health care reform is not a tax, a stance in contrast to the legal position taken by the Obama administration.

Jeffrey Zients made the comment in a hearing of the House Budget Committee, according to the Washington Examiner. The administration has maintained that it had the power to impose a mandate which requires individuals who do not purchase health insurance to pay a yearly penalty because the mandate is acting as a tax, and that Congress has the authority to create taxes.

Rep. Scott Garrett, R-N.J., grilled Zients for a minute on the administration's stance that no new taxes would be imposed on households that make $250,000 or less.

http://www.legalnewsline.com/news/235207-mandate-not-a-tax-obamas-budget-director-says

Oops.

[napoleon_in_rags]

1. Its a tax break for people who have health insurance.

Or a penalty for those who dont, but have enough money to get it, depending on how you look at it. (people making under like 30k get subsidy so they can buy it)

[derby378]

2. I think I'm going to err on the side of individual liberty

Kill the mandate and be done with it.

[napoleon_in_rags]

8. What liberty?

I have NO CHOICE of what health insurer to use, it comes with job. The status quo has also been that if I get a long term condition, I cant switch insurers either, which is to say I get stuck with a job, can no longer participate in free market and work for who I choose. Thats over now thanks to Obamacare.

Health insurance companies have never had to compete for individual customers, and being forced to work at a particular company due to a condition is slavery, not liberty.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

9. you have every choice to NOT subscribe to your employer's policy

and buy your own...why would you think you cannot do this?

sP

[napoleon_in_rags]

11. Because the way risk pools are calculated

Or something... Makes insurance purchased individually incredibly expensive. Hundreds per month for skeleton catastrophic plans.

Edit: collective action is very impotant in business. When a business of thousands approaches an insurer, the outcome is predictable in terms of payouts. When an individial approaches them, it is not.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. going through a good agent

can save you good money. when i worked for myself i was able to purchase as if i were a member of a pool. got a decent deal but certainly more expensive than i would have paid with a large employer.

sP

[napoleon_in_rags]

13. Any recommendations? Nt

[ProdigalJunkMail]

17. well, i would have...

but the last person i purchased a policy through died about 10 years ago...

sP

[tledford]

3. Is liability insurance on your automobile a tax? eom

[derby378]

5. Wrong answer...

I don't need liability insurance on my car in order to live as an American. The individual mandate, however, says I have to pay a tax or fine or whatever you call it just to take a breath.

[napoleon_in_rags]

14. Every country in the world charges you a tax to take a breath.

Thats why its called taxes, the only certainty in life.

[Angleae]

6. That would be a fee.

A fee, among others, to be able to drive said auto on public roads. If I don't want to drive on public roads I don't have to pay the fee. There is no such out for the health insurance mandate therefore it is a tax.

[Sheepshank]

20. There are several opt outs from the Health insurance mandate

But it doesn't serve the conversation to acknowledge those.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

10. not this shit again...

liability ins protects others from your stupidity or inability in relation to driving a car. in no way does it compare to the health ins mandate...

sP

[napoleon_in_rags]

15. Yes it does. ALL americans are entitled to ER care.

Which costs thousands. But thats where hobos go, sometimes hundreds of times. Who do you think pays?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

16. nice stretch...

impressive...nuts...but impressive nonetheless.

sP

[Cartaphelius]

4. It is a step in the right direction

which will eventually clarify to an overwhelming majority, the benefits of universal single payer coverage. Even our Tea Party brothers and sisters, some of whom already benefit from government subsidies, will discover the benefit of receiving a tangible return on taxes paid.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. It is a tax, no matter how they word it

Not all taxes are bad...

[Romulox]

18. It's a subsidy for corporations, really. nt

[closeupready]

19. Yes. They are trying to use euphemisms to fool people into thinking it's not, but it is.

nt

[Orangepeel]

21. Of course. It's enforced by the IRS

in practical terms, there's a tax and people who have insurance don't pay it. The White House just doesn't want to call it a tax for what I think are understandable political reasons.

Understandable for political reasons, even though it's not mt preference. My preference would be to collect the tax on everyone and use it to pay for Medicare for everyone.