|
Essential Oils |
Bella Mira Essential Oil Supplements
Essential Oil Information and Use
|
Gluten Free |
Gluten Free Living and Recipes
|
Important Information |
Save Your Computer Free Protection
|
Great Products |
|
FREE Wellness Tests |
Hormone Balance Test New Improved
.gif)
|
Contact Us |
Our Shopping Cart Is:
Mandatory Health Insurance in Massachusetts, Buy It or Pay a Fine 6-4-08
In 2006, the state of Massachusetts mandated health insurance coverage for
all adults. Individual uninsured taxpayers would be fined for failure to comply.
After one year of implementation, the law is considered a success by some
although 5% of all the state’s taxpayers did not purchase health coverage during
the year.
Mandatory health insurance in MassachusettsThe 5% uninsured taxpayers, nearly
100,000 of them, were denied their personal state tax exemption ($219) for
failing to purchase insurance even though they could afford to do so. Two
percent of the state’s taxpayers, or about 62,000 individuals, were found to
earn too little to afford the purchase.
The state collected $9.7 million from the fines, which was added to a trust fund
established to cover the cost of the mandatory insurance law. Individuals who
can afford it but who refuse to purchase it face monthly penalties expected to
reach $912 by December.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick calls the mandate a success, with 95% of
the state’s population now covered under health insurance programs. One point of
particular pride is the drop from 13% to 7% in the number of uninsured adults in
the state, with the biggest drop coming from the state’s poorer individuals.
Residents of the state who earn less than three times the federal level of
poverty are covered by state-subsidized health care.
While individuals report spending less for health care, the state may struggle
to fund the law. Originally, $725 million was estimated for the first year of
operation but Patrick budgeted $869 million. State regulators admit now that
costs to the state will rise higher than even that amount. To offset the
financing gap, a tax of $1 per pack of cigarettes has been initiated.
The first comprehensive survey of the mandatory insurance law was issued earlier
today. Funding for the survey was provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Massachusetts, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Commonwealth Fund.
Comment:
This is just sick, I don't know what else to say! This is a real bad idea here are my reasons:
1. People with 2 earner income families will drop one job to go below poverty level and reap the freebies. This encourages a permanent socialistic welfare state.
2. Whether citizens want to pay for healthcare is their own business. No governing agency should tell you how to run your life.
3. This promotes the forcing of vaccinations, medications for children (Ritalin so forth) and lower quality healthcare for seniors.
4. This allow employers are anyone else to discriminate for health reasons, much easier.
5. This drives down the quality of healthcare. Massachusetts citizens will go outside the state for procedures.
6. This drives up the cost of healthcare for everyone. Remember how expensive car insurance got once you had to have it? This also allows insurance companies to charge whatever they want because they have to pay for it.
7. This raises costs for the consumer. The insured will have to pay all the deductibles, pre-existings, not covered, not within our price range charges which can be astronomical.
I can go on forever. I am so thankful I don't live there. However this next election could decide if we all have to deal with this problem.