If the "Democrats" pass a bill forcing you to buy health insurance, will you refuse?

[villager]

Poll question: If the "Democrats" pass a bill forcing you to buy health insurance, will you refuse?

[orleans]

1. try underemployed n/t

[villager]

2. well, that too...

:toast:

[napi21]

3. There's is a subsidy associated with the mandate. I think it's a good idea.

Stupid things happen to people. I've never been sick (other than a cold or the flu once) but I fell and broke my ankle once, and the costs would have been horendous if I hadn't had ins. Even with ins. it cost me $3,000 in copays!

[lilwunder]

22. How will they know if we have insurance or not???

How will the government know if we have insurance or not? Who will be investigating the level of coverage American citizens have and deciding who should be fined? Is this something we would pass off onto the IRS to track? Im not sure if I would want the IRS in charge of this as well.

[Bill McBlueState]

34. if it's like Massachusetts,

your health insurance company will send you a form in January, and you'll copy information from that form to your tax return to demonstrate coverage. If you don't have coverage and you're not exempt from the requirement, you'll lose your standard deduction.

[villager]

38. and the "government off our backs" GOP supports this?

n/t

[sandnsea]

4. With my subsidy, my premium is $57 this year

I'd be stupid to refuse to pay that for my health care.

[villager]

5. This year? You have a subsidy already?

And one that is, apparently, far below the 12% of your income currently being floated as a "reasonable" chunk to pay (i.e. transfer of your wealth) to the insurance companies...

[sandnsea]

12. Yep and yep. $57 a month

based on last year's income. That's per month, not $57 for the whole year. Last year my premium was $114, I had a better income.

I mentioned yesterday that we really need to be fighting about that "reasonable" chunk to pay and how much the subsidy is going to be - and got accused of carrying water for the insurance companies.

Heaven forbid anybody deal with reality.

[villager]

13. But this subsidy is obviously different from anything in the bill being discussed

...since it already exists.

Since you're a fan, what kind of subsidy is it? State? Fed? What program?

Who is eligible?

[sandnsea]

33. It's a state subsidy

It's not so much that I'm a fan, it's that I know it's better than nothing. I also know it's affordable. If we don't pay attention to that "affordable" part, then anything they pass is going to fail.

Eligibility isn't the problem in Oregon, most people are "eligible". The subsidy can be up to somewhere around 70% of the premium. The problem is there's a waiting list because the program isn't fully funded.

No matter what kind of plan is implemented, people are going to have to pay a monthly amount. People will probably still have co-pays and out of pocket. How much is that going to be? That's the important part of this non-existent debate.

[villager]

39. the debate seems to exist, all right

... and the blank spaces will be more fully formed after tonight's speech!

I'm glad you have a good state subsidy. Most Americans, I fear, won't do quite so well if they're "ordered" to support our good friends in the Insurance business....

[csziggy]

6. Right now I am covered by hubby's insurance

But if he becomes unemployed or if his company decides not to cover spouses, I would certainly buy health insurance. I've paid for one major operation out of pocket while uninsured, and had five major operations covered by my husband's insurance. I'll take insurance if I can get it - and the only way I can get it is though my husband's job, my job (if I can stay in one piece long enough to get employed), through mandated insurance, or through universal coverage of some sort.

But the way things are looking, by the time anything is decided, I will be eligible for Medicare - I only have eight more years to wait.

[stuball111]

7. And..

I'll just move back to Canada, where it's free:bounce:

[vadawg]

10. lol, i too can move to where its free, but i think the point is to get it for everyone else

lol

[stuball111]

40. I whole heartedly agree

Universal or bust!

[Mojambo]

8. I'm not inclined to pay any protection money to the insurance mafia. n/t

[villager]

14. "Nice lookin' health you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it..."

n/t

[demwing]

9. I will refuse. I will pay no Life Tax

not because I want to engage in some civil disobediance, or because I am broke, but because it is the right thing to do.

[Indenturedebtor]

11. I have health insurance already through my wife's job

But if it wasn't affordable for us I wouldn't buy it under mandate. Fork that.

[T Wolf]

15. Where the fuck is the money supposed to come from? Is my employer going to

give me a raise to buy that worthless policy? NO! Employers will simply pocket the dollars they used to pay toward the premiums and the workers (as usual) will be left to pay.

[lilwunder]

20. why shouldn't they?

I agree, but if employers are going to be penalized an 8% payroll penalty for not providing healthcare for employees, while their current healthcare plan is around 20% of payroll, why wouldn't the employers drop healthcare for employees and save the 12% of payroll? Then the employees can just pay for the public option and everybody is happy... right??

[T Wolf]

24. "pay for the public option" with what? More money out of my pocket to replace something

that my employer used to pay for.

"Everybody is happy? WRONG! The boss wins by pocketing money and workers lose by being forced to buy a defective policy that will do nothing to limit costs.

[napi21]

27. The public option is for people who don't have any ins. Employers

will not be able to just dump your current ins. benefit & toss you onto the public role.

[lilwunder]

30. right, they will be fined... 8%

Exactly, and employer would be taxed, 8% of payroll if they do not provide insurance, that's what I said. The problem is almost ALL employer provided healthcare plans are over 15% payroll, why wouldn't they stop providing health benefits to save half of cost?

[ejpoeta]

16. I know my husband is PISSED about this mandate thing. I totally agree

because mandating people to buy into THIS system is bullshit!! I told him that this is why we need a public option at the very least. he said he didn't know why people don't speak up about this. I told him that people DO but that no one is showing it because all they are interested is screaming and shouting people carrying guns. Here is the thing... he's busy working. all the time working. he doesn't get a lot of time to keep up on this stuff. i seem to do enough of it for him anyway....LOL! poor bob!! Frankly, lately i can't even bear to hear it or watch it. I am going to go crazy! I am due in a couple of weeks here and I got my kids going back to school today.... and from what I am seeing and hearing, it sure sounds like we've been screwed here. I hope I am wrong, but I will believe it when I see it.

[and-justice-for-all]

17. How can I pay for something I can not afford in the first place?! nt

[villager]

28. that's sorta what I'm wondering....

n/t

[mmonk]

18. No, it just means I will still pay more for less than modern countries

for health care access.

[Freddie Stubbs]

19. I am employed and already have insurance

[elocs]

21. If you can afford to purchase health insurance, but refuse, expecting the government to cover you

then you should consider yourself to be self-insured by choice and cover your own medical expenses.

[KharmaTrain]

23. That's What Public Option Means...

Not everyone will want government coverage. I am fortunate to have a very nice policy and pay nicely for it. I do not want to give it up for a government plan that will cover less. Just like I don't trust the insurance companies playing god, I don't like the throught of the government being the sole health care provider either. That's just too much power and opportunities for abuse. There should be a balance...government and private competing. The government can't and won't provide everything someone needs...thus why there will be a need for umbrella policies or the OPTION for someone to use a private ensurer entirely. While I will pay taxes to contribute to a public system, I should reserve the right, just like with a school, to choose if I want to participate...as should anyone else.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

25. Already have insurance.

My premiums are paid %100 by my job. I have a $15 co-pay everytime I visit the doctor.

[lilwunder]

31. How much does your employer pay...

How much does your employer pay to provide healthcare benefits? Does your employer pay more than 8% of it's payroll to provide this to you?

[Javaman]

26. The concept of "forcing" anyone to do anything is completely assinine.

Take a gigantic step back, do you honestly believe that people will be "forced" to buy health insurance?

this is as bad as the fucking death panel bullshit.

jesus christ, folks, get a grip.

[PVnRT]

29. Gee, this isn't a push poll or anything

:eyes:

[villager]

32. uh, because they never are on DU?

Gee -- here I thought all our poll postings were utterly scientific!

[johnaries]

35. WTF? How clueless can you be? What kind of idiotic spin is this?

This poll looks like a typical RW push poll and completely misrepresents Democrats position. Educate yourself.

[villager]

37. ??

So -- you're of the "all previous DU polls have been designed to arduous scientific standards, contain no inherent humor -- dark or otherwise -- or never ever advocate particular positions, like other posts" camp?

Sigh.

You'd best educate yourself.

[guitar man]

36. it depends on what it costs

and if I'm still employed. If they want to mandate that I pay what I'm paying now and the ridiculous annual increases I've been paying, they can stick it in their ass. Keeping health insurance has already about bankrupted me.