I agree. The gov't simply wants a piece of insurance money pie...they saw all the dollars there....and the rest is (unfortunate) history.

More will go uninsured because obamacare is waaaaaaay too expensive. The people who they most want to attract (young & healthy) will pay the fine before enrolling. Which would also be my choice if I had to make that choice. Fortunately I do not.

They simply did this because they knew an increase in medicare taxes would be unpopular, but that is basically all it is....a way too expensive increase. The un ans underinsured are already covered under medicaid and medicare. And obamacare now disenfranchised thousands who had coverage ...if not millions

What Krugman, the link had nothing to do with that idiot. It is just an analysis by a two healthcare analyst that was updated by two others, one in 2011 and the other in 2013.

And the Swiss system doesn't work, just another false illusion:

"The country spends more than 10 percent of its GDP on health, placing Switzerland near the top of OECD countries for medical expenditure. This considerable investment means that the country possesses a wealth of medical facilities employing the latest technology, as well as one of the world's lowest patient-to-doctor ratio (and a high ratio of well-trained nurses to doctors)."

Now if the people are capped at 8% of earnings, then the remainder must be pinned to taxes, a hidden cost. And with cost:

"Affordability:
Concomitant with health expenditure climbing to 11.4 per cent of GDP
over the last decade, "��basic package" premiums have increased by an average of 5% per year and out - of - pocket expenditure is high compared with the OECD average. The Swiss system has not been very effective at containing costs and unsurprisingly there are now
concerns that the premiums may be 'unaffordable for many people'."

Sound familiar?

The Liberty and Freedom Foundation
OBAMACARE DESIGNED TO CREATE 21 MILLION UNION JOBS - Well we now know why Obama was in such a rush to Socialize America's health care industry...because his union buddies wanted to snatch up health care workers into their machine. It is all about money. It seems a deal was struck between Obama and Dennis Rivera of the SEIU, who later became Obama’s point man in putting together the coalition to pass ObamaCare. A new book reveals their plot and why it was so important to pass Obamacare for the SEIU. Currently only 10% of healthcare workers are unionized, under Obamacare, a joint labor-management training and job placement initiatives, and consortiums involving nursing school, community colleges and worker organizations [i.e., labor unions] are going to be pushed, which forces unionization. For every million additional health care workers unionized in the 27 non-right-to-work states, the unions would reap $1 billion in dues. So it was all just about money!! Unbelievable. But that is the real Barack H. Obama.

Yep,sounds familiar!
Besides,I live here,and I have no Complaints,regardless of what some Tools have to day,in some Article!
The US would definitely fare better than with Obamacare,since Obamacare hasn't got anything to do with Healthcare!
BTW,we even have managed to get a Multi-Party-Politicalsystem together in our supposedly Socialist System!

I would class the Swiss political Climate leaning more toward Corporatism than anything else!
Similar to what you have in the US!

But it's not about the government getting a piece of the pie, it is about Odumbo repaying campaign expenses from the insurance industry. They are the ones that will make out like bandits. Imagine, charging huge premiums and at the end of the year, getting to keep a 20% net margin before having to refund any of that. God what I wouldn't give for a 20% net profit.

And that is only the beginning. What with premiums already in the unaffordable arena, what is next, why a reduction in costs, the "death panels".

And as to paying the fine:

"The same analysis here suggests that the shared responsibility payment may for constitutional purposes be considered a tax, not a penalty: First, for most Americans the amount due will be far less than the price of insurance, and, by statute, it can never be more. It may often be a reasonable financial decision to make the payment rather than purchase insurance, unlike the "prohibitory" financial punishment in Drexel Furniture. 259 U.S., at 37, 42 S.Ct. 449. Second, the individual mandate contains no scienter requirement. Third, the payment is collected solely by the IRS through the normal means of taxation — except that the Service is not allowed to use those means most suggestive of a punitive sanction, such as criminal prosecution. See § 5000A(g)(2)."

Careful not to need a refund and never pay at all. But here is something more interesting in the Supreme Court decision:

"And if the mandate is in effect just a tax hike on certain taxpayers who do not have health insurance, it may be within Congress's constitutional power to tax."

First, the Supreme Court is only considering a tax hike on "certain taxpayers" and at the same time raises doubt on whether it is in Congress's constitutional power, both not affirmatively answered in the opinion.

And then;

"The Federal Government "is acknowledged by all to be one of enumerated powers." Ibid. That is, rather than granting general authority to perform all the conceivable functions of government, the Constitution lists, or enumerates, the Federal Government's powers."

is it not time to determine if many other "acts" are within those powers, starting with Amendment 14 and Amendment 16.

money still makes the world go round

in America insurance is heavily tied to healthcare,,,so we have actually had 'insurance' reform,, labeled as healthcare reform

a bill for a non insured person can run 54000 for a 5 day stay, yet an insured persons insurance will be billed maybe 5000

same services, same expenses,, but why the VAST difference in price?

this is part of what needed to be reformed, as it was causing great financial burdens for people, along with those who really need insurance being turned down,, as opposed to having options that fit their circumstances,,,

Tort reform would help to reduce medical expenses.
Right now, physicians will order unnecessary tests just to cover their tails.

A totally naive conception, Odumbo has already thrown the unions under the bus and will continue to do so. This is all about corporate america and they hate unions, gets in the way of profits. Odumbo stole Government Motors and gave to the Unions, now watch what happens. Guarantee it will not be in the Unions favor, at least not the members.

But now we have the insurance companies and their turn at the trough. The deal struck with the insurance industry was for everybody to be insured with billions in profits. Would not benefit them at all to be unionized, would drive up costs and cut their profits.

But now surprise, surprise, the people have awaken and refuse to cooperate in mass quantities. The whole mess is about to come down around their heads.

Careful, those rose colored glasses will make you go blind.

What money? There is no money left in this world, hasn't been for a long time. Maybe the ruble or yuan will be money in the near future.

Really and where pray tell did you extract this dribble? I'm a cash paying customer and get a considerable discount at my local hospital. At first they thought that as uninsured that medicaid would pick up the bill and boy was that ridiculous. But then when I refused to even file medicaid and they realized they were to be left holding the bag did the discounts come rolling in, as much as 60 percent in some cases, 50 percent for most. Some items were just deleted altogether.

So perhaps you should ask another friend that knows a friend that was told by someone else what is happening. Your current source seems to not have the whole truth.

Seriously, are you that ill informed? There was tort reform and the insurance companies won, bought the judges helped by that wonderful organization, Chamber of Commerce.

Now when a jury awards someone a large settlement to help care for someone that will never be able to care for themselves again, the highest courts in the states will reduce what a jury has awarded. Totally unconstitutional, a jury decides matters, and a magistrate has no authority to override, period.

"However, no statutory or constitutional court (whether it be an appellate or supreme court) can second guess the judgment of a court of record. "The judgment of a court of record whose jurisdiction is final, is as conclusive on all the world as the judgment of this court would be. It is as conclusive on this court as it is on other courts. It puts an end to inquiry concerning the fact, by deciding it." Ex parte Watkins, 3 Pet., at 202-203. Cited by SCHNECKLOTH v. BUSTAMONTE, 412 U.S. 218, 255 (1973)"

anyway,,,,

sometimes they may , depending upon the bill, be willing to negotiate like credit counselors do,,,,SOMETIMES

but IM betting that is also credit based, and resource based (I remember something about someone being a business owner looking for employees?)

for those without RESORUCE or CREDIT,, and that's ALOT OF PEOPLE, such a debt is not just reduced or forgiven, and can wreak havoc


during my most recent angina attack for which I had FIVE DAYS of hospitalization,,, and where my insurance had lapsed previously without my knowledge,,

I was billed, as uninsured , for 54000,,, I am estimating from previous insured stays at the hospital, that my bill would be closer to 6000

same types of services, same condition, same effort and tools,, but a HUGE disparity in how they bill independent citizens compared to how they bill INSURANCE companies,,,

Just how can your insurance lapse without you knowing it?

Where did I say I was a business owner, not me, I'm retired. But currently I am under contract to a close acquaintance as a management consultant to help restructure a business to go the next step beyond small business, but I do have the authority and responsibility to hire and fire both personal, vendors and customers. A concept that seems would be foreign to you.

And what does credit based and resource based, some of that disillusion economics mumbo jumbo? That is pure crap. I don't do crap unless it's that "Legal" crap. The law of contracts, the UCC is marvelous. Most people get it used against them and never realizes what happened. From your posts, you would be in that group.

And credit counselors don't do anything but extract a fee from the uninformed. They get nothing you couldn't get for yourself except for some of your money.

And as for the rest, see above.

I would guess it would be because it was just one of those facts, you know those thing seem not to need.

Uh, only msharmony knows the answer to the question that I asked her.

I didn't receive a notice, and hadn't been to the hospital, so I Wasn't aware it had lapsed

Uh, if you had to pay monthly premiums, then why would you not be billed on a monthly basis?

I fail to understand how a person that has been long term employed can afford paying health insurance for themselves and kids.

Sumthin smell fishy.

Now, how can Muslims get a free ride on the oButtmacare train?

HMIC...(head muslim in charge)