PELOSI: Buy a $15,000 Policy or Go to Ja
Find a Conversation
| Sat, 11-07-2009 - 12:09pm |
In discussions on this forum, it appears many are under the impression that someone else will pay for government mandated health insurance. If the government should decide you can pay $15,000 per year for a health insurance policy, it is possible under the Pelosi bill that you can be fined up to $250,000 and sent to prison for 5 years.
According to the CBO, a conforming family health insurance policy will have a premium of $15,000 by 2016.
We all have to hope our government won't be very punitive to us, we shall now live at its mercy. If the government every decides it doesn't like our policy, or if the government ever decides we could pay but didn't, we are in jeopardy of loss of freedom. This loss of liberty is something that only seems to be of interest to conservatives.
Anyway the story is here - http://republicans.waysandmeans.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=153583
PELOSI: Buy a $15,000 Policy or Go to Jail
JCT Confirms Failure to Comply with Democrats’ Mandate Can Lead to 5 Years in Jail
Friday, November 06, 2009
Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.
In response to the JCT letter, Camp said: “This is the ultimate example of the Democrats’ command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail. It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately.”
Key excerpts from the JCT letter appear below:
“H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.”
- - - - - - - - - -
“If the government determines that the taxpayer’s unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply…”
- - - - - - - - - -
“Criminal penalties
Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses. Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:
• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.
• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.”
When confronted with this same issue during its consideration of a similar individual mandate tax, the Senate Finance Committee worked on a bipartisan basis to include language in its bill that shielded Americans from civil and criminal penalties. The Pelosi bill, however, contains no similar language protecting American citizens from civil and criminal tax penalties that could include a $250,000 fine and five years in jail.
“The Senate Finance Committee had the good sense to eliminate the extreme penalty of incarceration. Speaker Pelosi’s decision to leave in the jail time provision is a threat to every family who cannot afford the $15,000 premium her plan creates. Fortunately, Republicans have an alternative that will lower health insurance costs without raising taxes or cutting Medicare,” said Camp.
According to the Congressional Budget Office the lowest cost family non-group plan under the Speaker’s bill would cost $15,000 in 2016.

If accurate the $15k is in not today's dollar value but in 7 years time. The figures are speculative. The whole scenario is base on conjecture not fact.
"We all have to hope our government won't be very punitive to us, we shall now live at its mercy."
According to your
**In discussions on this forum, it appears many are under the impression that someone else will pay for government mandated health insurance. **
I haven't gotten this impression at all. I'm pretty clear that everyone here
"I haven't gotten this impression at all. I'm pretty clear that everyone here understands, they are paying already, but not necessarily benefitting. In some cases, people aren't even afforded the opportunity to buy in, though they pay taxes, that support other people, recieving health benefits and support the corporate welfare insurance companies recieve."
Most of the posts I've seen here involve stories about people who can't afford the various premiums for their health insurance. I have not seen a post about anyone who says Boy I'm so grateful to BO. Soon I'll be able to pay $300 plus (or more) every month to have health insurance.
"Hey, this looks like a bargain to me. For a WHOLE FAMILY!!!!!! In 7 YEARS!!!! My partners coverage ALONE, through the state high risk pool, SUBSIDIZED by the state (aka CORPORATE WELFARE) $12K a year quote in 2008. Cheaper to not get married and have him get "free" health care through the state."
Suggest you re-read the post .... it said the lowest cost plan would be $15,000. No telling what won't be covered under the lowest cost plan, then the complaining will commence when this and that isn't covered.
They'd better
Not necessarily.
"They'd better get ready to incarcerate more tax cheats as well."
Glance slowly to the right........now hold that pose for a second.......there they go, off to the Big House......some familiar