Buy Insurance or Go to Jail?

The problem is do we have a mandate with a public option, or without a public option? Polls indicate that the public supports a mandate with a public option with over 60% approval, and disapproves a mandate with out a public option by over 60%.
If the Dems pass a mandate without a PO they will be hurting.

I draw SS and military retired pay, but live in the Philippines. If you take money out of my pay for insurance, where do I use it. It ain’t no good here. Around 1500 retired military and civilians live here. We’re all in the same boat.

Totalitarian fascism . . . say goodbye to a once great Republic.

Has anyone questioned the constitutionality of such a law ? A person has a right to refuse medical treatment. If i don’t own a car or drive do i have to buy auto insurance?

Oh, this is SO SMART! And why stop at healthcare? We could levy a $1900 “fine” and everybody who fails to buy and consume THREE SQUARE MEALS A DAY!!!
THAT should do something about HUNGER and POVERTY, by gosh!!!
I don’t care WHO they say “wrote” this provision: only a REPUBLICAN could come up with a stupid idea like this!!!

Maybe the free-loaders now will find out that there is no free lunch to be had after all. The so called “rich” in this country won’t give them lunch money. But, let them eat cake….

” This is not insurance. It is, once again, a socialist share-the-wealth scheme.”
Well, yes, and so is the Interstate Highway System! What good did that ever do for the Amish???

I don’t see how this flies without a mandate, though I would like to believe it is not necessary. I also realize that there are plenty of young people who are healthy and don’t want health insurance if it is going to cost them. The key is obviously the “public option”. Insurance has to made affordable, and that is why the countries with the best health care in the world (France , Spain, and Italy) have universal health care. It is obviously much better to pay for health insurance in your taxes, rather than pay a penalty when your employer comes up short. Obviously, American employers care absolutely nothing about employees in the current economic environment, and they are behaving like foreman with a whip over slaves.

So if we don’t pay, we get sent to prison and then we’ll have the best medical care there is like it is for prisoners now. I’m all for that!

“‘This is not insurance. It is, once again, a socialist share-the-wealth scheme.’
Well, yes, and so is the Interstate Highway System! What good did that ever do for the Amish???”
I’ll put aside for a moment that fact that the purposes and natures of the Interstate and health care are so different that this argument is an apples and oranges exercise (something that the President LOVES to use to gull the gullible). Considering that 1) non-Amish use these roads to visit Amish country and support their economy, and 2) even Amish use these roads nowadays to deliver some of their perishable goods in motorized vehicles to places like New York City, the Interstate actually helps them quite a bit.

Remember how Seat Belt laws first came into being. Back in the 1980s, legislators said, “we’ll never fine anyone for not wearing a seat belt… just an advisory.”
Then, what happened? They instituted fines.
Then it was, “It will be just a small fine, like $50.000.”
Nowadays it’s up to $500.00 in some states.
And in the beginning nobody could ever conceive of someone actually going to jail for not wearing their seat belt. But just last year, an Ohio women spent 2 months in the slammer for disobeying the law.
The health care mandate will undoubtably follow the same path.

Americans should en-masse, refuse to buy the plan and tell the government in no uncertain terms to back off and out of our lives.

“But, let them eat cake…. ” … Didn’t the last person who said that sort of lose her head over the matter? Seems like a lot of Conservatives are losing their heads as well – even when they remain firmly attached!

2010 elections will be fun to watch! Both sides need to be swept out. They are both corrupt and stealing our money and freedoms. We are allowing this to take place. Hope you are all calling your representatives twice daily.

Is this America? What happened to the republic I grew up loving and honoring?

We have plenty of tax payer money to support more folks in jail. What a great idea. Put them next to the pot smokers. Absolutely fantastic.

can any one say debtor’s prison?? Right here in America…. nice!

Another socialist dagger stabbing the heart of liberty. Be very careful about what you ask for. Every socialist experiment of the 20th century was a failure. Does anyone think the Cuban brand of Fidel Castro is really a success? The majority of people live in disgraceful poverty, they are not allowed to travel outside of Cuba without special government permission. Most don’t own cars and if they do they are American cars freom the 1950′s. There is no freedom of speech. People are afraid to tell the truth for fear of getting sent to prison. This is the ultimate left wing experiment and people in this country call a movement to the left progressive? Every nation that was once a part of the Soviet Union was an economic, environmental,social and for their citizens, a disaster. Always remember, “The good of the collective is the claim and justification of every tyranny ever established over men” A. R.

“We can’t expect the American People to jump from Capitalism to Communism,
but we can assist their elected leaders in giving them small doses of Socialism,
until they awaken one day to find that they have Communism.”
Nikita Krushchev 1950

Absolutely the dumbest idea out there. Right now Americans can barely afford to eat and keep their homes. Our elected officials have totally lost it.

funny how the ‘no handouts” “I have welfare” cons dont want to pay for thier own health insurance. If you dont have health insurance you are risking MY MONEY you idiot! I do not want to pay YOUR BILLS for your thick skulled gambled that you wont have a stroke!!!! NO THANK YOU! You dont get to gamble MY MONEY!! Buy healthinsurance, you leech!

If they pass a mandate without a public option with premiums adjusted to make it affordable AFTER expenses, they are going to have to start building a whole lot of new jails.
AND they will be fighting a whole lot of law suits as to the constitutionality of FORCING people to buy from private companies.
They sit up their on Capitol Hill or at home in their multimillion dollar mansions and have no sense of the reality of a divorced man mid 30 who pays $400 rent, $300 electric each month plus personal bills AND $200 each WEEK for child support when his hours are cut every time there’s the slightest downturn in customers. I think politicians should be MANDATED to live IN THE REAL WORLD for 10 years before being eligible for office at any level of government, from mayor of the lowliest town to the President and I don’t mean living off their parents OR their inheritance. Live on minimum wage for 10 years.

Folks, the handwriting is on the wall. Our elected officials don’t give a rat’s furry behind about our constitutional rights or ruining our country with excessive debt. Their intent is to sell us into slavery to health care insurance companies & raise taxes fees just to enrich their war chests for re-election. As their employer, please contact your elected officials & ask them to VOTE NO to MANDATED HEALTH CARE INSURANCE & YES to CONSUMER PROTECTIONS/no added taxes or fees/improved health care.

If socialism is the future, let’s go all the way. Let’s build a Utopian society.

I’m sorry but as you surrender your personal and pritave right’s to Obama and his soliasm way. the mandate of every one get insuring is wrong No two wat about it. It didn’t lower cost on auto insuring nor will lower cost on health insuring. then with Bacuas vote down cost on drug’s maker and refuse to control cost hospital or try to emliate the paper work to file for all there excess cost there will be no real health plan. we slowing becoming Amercia the facist country

I make about $600 a month. $400 of that is taken by rent and bills. The rest goes for food and the fuel to get to work and back. In short I’m real poor, and now that’s going to be a crime punishable by fines and prison because I can’t afford to cough up the bucks to Obama’s insurance industry buddies.
I’m just barely able to feed myself as it is. Where am I supposed to get the big bucks for health insurance? I can’t afford a single doctor visit.
What gives these idiots the idea that if we can’t afford healthcare insurance we can afford the fines? You can’t get blood out of a turnip. How is jailing all the nation’s poor for not buying health insurance going to save money? It cost more to jail a person per year than it does to send him to Stanford!

I am Mandated by my the government (my State) to have my “car” insured. And if I don’t I WILL BE FINED, and possibly go to Jail…..now which part of this don’t you understand……. Ann….you’re already choosing between now WITHOUT insurance to pay your living expenses, god-forbid if you Got Sick! And why shouldn’t you pay a fine, if everybody else is paying if you did get sick and used Medical facilities? Maybe you should just beg for “Charity”, or loose “your job” if you have to ‘sit at a “Charity” for days trying to get Medical Assistance. Isn’t that what your party is suggesting as a solution?

So…… driving is a “privilege”…..and…. LIVING is WHAT? Republicans please Make up your minds! If you are truly “christians” and truly “pro-life”……you DO know that……. Living is a RIGHT, right? Ohhhhhhhhhhh, only if it “fits” your agenda, or “conflicting thinking”…..so if my “conflicting thinking” never get resolved……just do nothing! Baffling.

Some ignorant people are comparing this socialist health bill to our public highways. Four your information we have a CHOICE to use them or not. We are not fined if we do not use them and do not buy a liscense plate. the way things are going I guess that will be next. The democrats have not thought of that yet or maybe they are just waiting to be through with Health!!!!!!!!! “Rats”

As with so many controversial issues facing Americans today, it is impossible to understand socialized healthcare without delving deeper than the press cares to. For example, auto insurance was touted as a way to improve the safety of our roads from the ravages of the reckless uninsured driver. I.e., the ‘common good’. But does car insurance make us better drivers? Of course not. But it certainly makes it more expensive to drive, doesn’t it? Likewise, does “health insurance” improve our health per se? No, it doesn’t. Good diet and exercise help us avoid over 80% of the disease that afflict us– ask any doctor. But it does make the insurance and mdecial industry extremely wealthy, and they, after all, are the ultimate beneficiaries of the current bill. Their lobbyists even helped write it. Did you?

Oh geez, Obama is going to make it criminal to pay out of pocket for health care—so if you get sick and go to the doctor, Obama can arrest you, put you in jail, and charge tax payers to pay for your incarcination. Obama can kiss my butt.

That is a freaking joke they let real criminals out early now because states don’t either have the money or room for them you know they can’t put the working force all in jail they won’t be anyone to pay taxes I’m diabled now but when I was working I tried to get insurance and they wanted almost all the money I made for a month because of my health and wouldn’t even cover my lungs which is what causes a lot of my sicknesses.You can bet they would find a reason to not cover the really sick and maybe start shipping them to the states that can doctor assist kill them.Our forefathers came to this land to avoid being thrown in jail for stupid reasons If President Obama lets this happen then maybe we should call the United States of Britain and him a Dictator instead of President Maybe he needs to take another visit to some of the countries where people are thrown in jail for anything and are slaves to others to remind him that we don’t want to go backwards but find a way to go forward instead and our guys in these war are getting killed for nothing in Iraq and crippled .The purpose was to rid of the dicator now they need to leave. And they are not ever going to find Bin Laden that old dude is dead.Let our guys come home and quit sending more over there

Gary – You said “How about we get rid of all you representatives who are better than us. when you give us a health care program that is good enough for yourselves (being OUR representatives) then it will be good enough for us. how can you represent us when you place yourselves above us????
Dear Leader Chairman Maobama previously said that the members of Congress have good healthcare and we should all have the same healthcare. Is this possible?
Contrary to what many believe Congressmen do not have FREE health insurance. Their employer is the federal government and like many employers, it provides him with an insurance plan from a private insurance company (AETNA, Blue Cross, Health Net, Kaiser, etc). Congressmen have been required to get their health insurance in this manner since passage of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1983. In this case the federal government utilizes the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) plan to provide a choice of different private insurance plans to choose from, the federal government as the employer (like many private employers) pays a portion (approximately 66%) of the monthly premium and the Congressman as the employee pays the remainder. The Congressman is responsible for any co-pays or deductable payments when service is provided by a healthcare provider. The Congressman is also susceptible to the limits within the plan he chooses, none of the plans cover 100% of the costs the insured eventually reaches a point where he has to dig into his own pockets. The governments only other involvement with the FEHB is to negotiate rates and benefits for each plan once a year. If you want to view the plans and their limits, deductibles, and co-pays just Google “FEHB” and go to the site and see what the different plans are.
The FEHB health plans are either nationwide (plan available anywhere within the country) or regional (plan available only in one state or a portion of a state) FEHB allows the Congressman to change between plans once a year during what is referred to as an open season and he can switch with no lapse in coverage due to pre-existing conditions and if he changes jobs within the Federal Government he can take his current plan with him if the plan is available (he moved from one region to another) at his new position, if not he can switch with no problems. If the government were to open these plans to the public the monthly premiums for a family plan would roughly be between $425.00 and $1300.00, for an individual the monthly premium would roughly be between $177.00 and $550.00 and then everyone could have the same health care as our Congressmen. The premium cost could be lowered for the public if the insured persons employer were to pay a portion of the premium as a benefit of their job. One of the differences in the plan costs is the level of benefits provided and the amount the patient pays (co-pays or deductable) when receiving healthcare.

Maybe the government should mandate I buy a car from GM and bank at a nationalized bank. Or maybe it should be mandated that we do service for the dems if they have a majority in the house when I get my student loan. And maybe I will be forced to work at Ameicorp to pay off my loan for medical school.And if the pharmaceutical companies are in the pockets of the government and vice versa then maybe they can set the price for my drugs that I have to wait for all day to get at the government clinic where everyone treats you like a number!
Perhaps Cass Seistien will mandate I carry vet insurance for my dog!

Share the risk is the best approach – it should be a subset of taxes we pay that all americans get basic health care.
I hate it that we stupidly let the Big Three automakers insist they couldn’t make money selling high mileage cars – I bought a Prius because there was no American made counterpart.
It took a collapse of automaking for American manuafacturer’s to even consider making a hybrid.
American worker productivity has been increasing and yet our salaries have not? How is that acceptable? Our employers swap out health care providers rapidly, drop coverage and increase costs?
Just like the price of gasoline we can see where health care costs/coverage are headed. I hope it doesn’t require a serious collapse before we take action.
Get cancer and it will scare the bejusus out of your how difficult it is to keep the insurance company processing your paperwork

Why is it the government is trying to treat symptoms instead of going to the problem? They must be blind. Why aren’t we looking at providing eduction for the public about eating better getting the right nutrition so that these health problems don’t happen. If the demand for health care goes down so will the prices for that health care. it is all part of supply and demand. Let’s take care of the real problem.

I only can work 2-3 hours per day due to my unresolved medical issues.I had open heart surgery and take coumedin for my new heart valve.I am appealing a 2007 SSD denial through a attorney.I cannot work too many hours even if i had great health cause my wife gets SSI and shes on medicaid and if I work past 4 hours a day her SSI checks get cut almost off.Her checks help pay the whole rent and we barely make our ends meet as it is.

This is absolute bull crap. They should not force you to take health insurance if you can’t afford it. My current job is a sign/waver/shakerboarder for Little Caesars due to some disabilities I have and nobody else wanting to hire me cause of these disabilities. I only make $150 to $300 every two weeks how the heck do you expect me to pay for health insurance on such a low income as this. Also affording my rent and other major bills. My dad who’s on disability is always $400 short a month and he can’t afford health insurance either. This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of in my life and for them to try and force health insurance on us low income making people they should burn in heck. I hate Obama and the government cause they are ruining everything and they should burn in heck!!!!

He proved himself wrong in the third paragraph. The fee is, in fact, an excise tax, however not in the bill, brings to bare all the power of the IRS, Dept. of Treas. to collect said taxes. And as we all know you can certainly go to jail for willful non payment of taxes. It was a nice try on Teddy’s part, but I don’t think Goebbels would be pleased with such ineffective propaganda

Greetings,
We wholeheartedly disagree with this “Buy Insurance or Go to Jail” philosophy as it will undoubtedly hurt those who can least afford it.
Life can be challenging enough as it is, and now the fear of jail time is on the verge of being added in simply because someone can’t afford health insurance for one reason or another? That’s a very disturbing scenario, and hopefully it is one that will not be tolerated in this country.
The bottom line is that health insurance tends to be very expensive, which is why so many lower income individuals simply can’t afford to have it.
Now perhaps a flat 5% health care provision income tax to fund a “universal health care program” may be in order here, as it’s not burdening any one individual or entity with what could be unaffordable health insurance purchase mandates and would also serve to provide funds to treat those who cannot afford health insurance for one reason or another.
Lastly, reasonable prices for health care, especially when it comes to preventive health care, must be instituted to help make health insurance affordable for everyone.
The system can be made to work, but business as usual has got to go the way of the dinosaur.
Warmest Regards and Best Wishes,
The Life and Health Insurance Quote Information Center