Currently all proposed bills do contain individual mandates
Mandates are a word being heard a lot lately. In the push for universal health care, many have suggested that individual mandates are necessary to achieve this goal. Both the House bill (HR3200) and the Senate HELP bill do include mandates.
What is not generally understood is that there are two different kinds of mandates. This article will explore only the individual mandate that requires everyone to have health insurance. This is the kind of mandate that is included in both of the proposed bills noted above.
Two states, Hawaii and Massachusetts, currently mandate that everyone in the state be required to have health insurance or face a penalty.
Massachusetts
Beginning July 1, 2007 Massachusetts required all residents over the age of 18 obtain and retain health insurance that meets the state’s minimum requirements standard. Individuals who could not show proof of health insurance coverage by Dec. 31, 2007, lost their personal income tax exemption when filing their 2007 income taxes. Failure to meet the requirement in 2008 resulted in a fine for each month the individual did not have coverage. The fine is equal 50 percent of the least costly, available insurance premium that an individual could purchase.
The Massachusetts program has reported that despite the mandate a growing percentage of residents still do not have health insurance. Furthermore, the cost of the Massachusetts plan is escalating. Recently, the legislature removed coverage from 30,000 legal aliens in order to save money. These Massachusetts residents who had been given health insurance under the 2007 law will now lose their coverage.
Hawaii
Hawaii law is different in that it mandates that companies provide insurance to employees working more than 20 hours per week. This 35 year old law worked well in good economic times but has shown signs of faltering lately. Hawaii's law limits worker health insurance contributions to a maximum of 1.5 percent of the worker's wage.
In the 1980’s only 5% of workers were uninsured. However, by 2007 that number had grown to 8% . The rise in uninsured can be traced to unemployment, rising health care costs and businesses hiring more part time workers to avoid the mandate.
Still, according to the Kaiser Foundation, Hawaii has the nation's lowest death rate, longest life expectancy, lowest frequency of emergency room visits and second-fewest heart-disease deaths.
Hawaii residents also have the nation's most affordable health insurance. Employer based family coverage nationwide averages $11,300 yearly while the average in Hawaii is $9,400.
Administration’s position on individual mandates
Initially President Obama had opposed individual insurance mandates. However, in June the President sent a letter to the heads of the Congressional committees working on health reform legislation advising them that he would be willing to accept individual mandates. The President noted that he would only accept mandates if the legislation also included hardship exemptions for those who could not afford premiums from private insurers and also included an exemption for small businesses.
With the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy focus has shifted to the polls which have been showing more concern about the handling of the health care reform issue by the administration. The President is considering a major speech to coincide with the return of Congress which may set forth a new approach to reform.
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Comments
FACT: Obama predicted a $7 trillion budget shortfall, but now raised it to $9 trillion. Why was he off by so much? Because he’s incompetent and/or a liar. And don’t be surprised if the actual deficit is far greater than $9 trillion.
FACT: Obama has been lying about healthcare, cap-and-trade, and just about everything else that comes out of his mouth. We can’t believe a word he says.
CONCLUSION: Obama is clearly incompetent and/or extremely dishonest. Why does he want to lead the USA down this destructive path? The Dems in Congress are no better, and we should throw most of them out of office. And here’s one more FACT: Our founding fathers not only gave us the right to revolt against an oppressive govt, they said it’s our duty as Americans.
FACT: Obama promised not to raise taxes of any kind on anyone who makes less than $200k. But two weeks after his inauguration he raised taxes by 62 cents a pack on the nation’s 43 million smokers, most of whom make less than $200k.
FACT: Obama promised that the unemployment rate would not exceed 8% if we pass his stimulus plan, but the unemployment rate is now at 9.7%.
FACT: Obama told us that $1 in govt spending will return $1.52 in economic growth and that $1 in tax cuts returns just 99 cents in economic growth. If you follow his logic, all we need to do is spend our way to prosperity.
Why don't you run for office DAN THE MAN if you can do better? And Obama is a smoker too btw.
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