I am in the same situation. I have a start-up and I do freelance as a 1099. I don't have health insurance because I can't afford to pay $750 a month yet don't qualify for the subsidized plans because of my income. The Tax penalty is really not that big of a deal for me because I get hit on so many other expenses that a tax increase will be very minimal. But the ability to get health insurance for $400 a month that doesn't have a ridiculous deductible or co-pays is absolutely amazing. Also a lot of other people who make less will be able to get health insurance for even less. And the best part is the insurance companies can now drop pre-existing conditions and yet still be alright. The key thing here isn't the mandate, it's the mandate + affordable health care plans. That makes it easy for people to enroll. For you, if you don't want health insurance yet don't want to pay the penalty, you can still get away with getting a cheap plan that is only catastrophic coverage for a few hundred a month, and then deduct 50% of that against your taxes so it really will only cost you about $160 a month. I don't think that will break your back...no? Or you can show enough losses that the penalty really dont' result in that much of a tax increase.
Thanks to Obama, morons like yourself will no longer be a drag on the entire system. Obama!!!!! Four more years!!!! w00t!!!!!!!!!!
"Just because a couple people on the Supreme Court declare something to be ‘constitutional’ does not make it so." -- Rand Paul Uh, yeah it kind of does Rand
I'm not sure what kind of health care you're looking at, but normal individual plans nowhere close to $750/month. Catastrophic plans are substantially less. I just put in for a 50 year old smoker in EHealthInsurance, and there are basic high-deductible plans for about $100/month. More reasonable plans are in the $250 range.
Yeah I'm completely baffled by this $750 a month number he put out there. Elite plans don't even cost that much typically.
Dude, Obama took the need for this post away. We will no longer be drug down by incompetent people like him. He is forced to do the reasonable thing now.
What do you mean? I live in Texas. I have an individual plan in Texas. I put in the sample quote request in EHealthInsurance for Texas. Try it - it takes 30 seconds and you get actual quotes (without giving any personal info).
I'm younger than Lou I believe so my experience on an individual plan isn't relevant, but I sell them constantly and have never sold an individual policy (not family) for $750.
Yes, a plan in NY runs about that per month for a plan without a deductible. I don't want a deductible because it actually would cost me even more money. Believe me, I have looked - once my COBRA ran out, I couldn't afford health insurance because to keep my current plan would have gone from $360 a month to $750. Here is the plan I was on: Oxford Freedom Metro EPO 8»Compare In Network Benefits Office Co-pay $25 Specialist Co-pay $50 Hospital $300* per day (5 days max) Emergency Room $200 Referals Needed No Rx: Generic/Brand/High Brand $10/$35/$75 after $100 Deductible In-Network Deductible $0 In-Network Co-Insurance 0% Max Out of Pocket NA Out of Network Benefits Deductible $0 Co-Insurance 0% Out of Pocket Max NA Other Benefits Vision/Dental NA Renewal Date 01/01/2013 Download Summary of Benefits Plan Type: EPO Deductible: $0 Co-Insurance: 0% Co-Pay: $25 $781.09
Yeah - that's why I tried the 50 yr old smoker just to see what would come up with a fairly high-cost case, and everything still ranged from $107 to $260. So I have no idea what kinds of plans he was at for $750 or even $400.
OK, well there's the problem. If you don't want a deductible, you're trying to but absurdly high end insurance. Even with that, though, EHealthInsurance has plans for a 50 yr old smoker in the $400-$500 range in New York. If you just have a $1200 deductible, there are plenty of plans around $250. Since you'd be saving a guaranteed $3000+ per year, and paying $1200 at most anyway, zero-deductible plans tend to be fairly silly.
Because I am not limited to buying health care from NY providers anymore. I can buy from any state, that massive competition should make it a lot easier to get affordable health coverage. For instance, I look at what a plan costs in MA, and it's $300 cheaper for the exact same plan!!!! Is that because of RomneyCare - heck if I know, but I want that plan!
Why? Do you pay anything close to that for an individual? I have a high deductible HSA plan so I only pay $75 a month, but I'm pretty sure even low deductible plans are nowhere near that amount.
