Penalties for not buying your mandated insurance...

[zipplewrath]

172. Slow down jasper

Yes, the OP is misleading in the sense that there are folks who "fall into the cracks" and they will be "poor" (but not the "poorest" by any stretch). But even if one claimed their were "millions" that could easily be less than 1% of the population. Even of the claimed 25 million or more that ACA will "help", that'd be less than 10% of them.

But let's be a bit honest, it takes more than "one payment" to have a cutoff notice issued. You'll have to not pay for months, and the fallout can be notible for people who rent. Landlords can know of these things and it can be a violation of ones lease to do as such.

The reality is that ACA puts you in one of 4 categories.

1) People who don't need help with their health insurance
2) People who get a subsidy for their health insurance
3) People who don't qualify for health insurance subsidies or medicaid, but aren't subject to the penalty
4) People who qualify for medicaid

Only category 1 and 2 are subject to penalties, and yes there are a host of exemptions. But the end result is that some people in category 2 and virtually all in category 3 will be without health insurance. And some in category 2 will be subject to the penalty, but won't be able to afford the underlying care. And the cost of that care is anticipated by the White House to continue to rise at 6 - 7% each year for the foreseeable future.

It is a regressive system in many ways, even if not in all ways. It is designed to replace a technically less regressive system, but only because the federal government was less involved. For many it is designed to help, it will be an improvement. My problem has always been that it did little for the vast majority of Americans, and as was stated several times, it was designed that way. It was narrowly focused on those without insurance at all, or with extreme difficulty in getting or keeping it. Nice short term focus, but even as far back as Clinton, it was plainly obvious that the system is unsustainable for the vast majority of us, and it is only getting worse, even after the ACA. And it formalized and codified the insurance companies in the system, instead of marginalizing them.