It may make more sense to pay the penalty and pick up health insurance if you get sick.

[dkf]

The calculation would simply depend on if your premium payments are more than the $750 fine or not. Basically you are paying 750 in taxes to guarantee insurance if you need it. This may be a way to screw insurance companies. If only we could negotiate with our employers to get paid in wages what they would have paid in premiums. If we can figure out how to do this and perhaps use Bernie sanders clinics for a onc a year checkup we could possibly come out ahead. It's certainly worth looking into. Maybe this will spur more doctors to accept fee for payment without any insurance necessary.

[OneGrassRoot]

1. Are you sure?

Are you sure that paying the fine results in coverage?

Thanks. :hi:

[dkf]

2. No exclusion for preexisting conditions

You can get a policy at any time with a premium based on your age. Also if you do get sick you can jump back on your employers plan at annual enrollment. That is what it sounds like to me anyway. If you listen to the industries complaints they will tell you where their vulnerabilities are. They wouldn't be moaning and groaning if it didn't make financial sense in some cases. You probably wouldn't want to do this if you have kids though. They get sick all the time.

[OneGrassRoot]

4. I haven't had insurance for 10 years....

fortunately my daughter is covered through her dad's employer-based plan.

There's no way I could afford premiums at the calculations I've seen. If you are saying that by paying the penalty that this results in coverage, then yes, that makes the most sense for someone like me! I've tried to find catastrophic-only coverage for years, to no avail.

I have a feeling I'm being very dense in this conversation though...lol.

Thanks. :)

ON EDIT: I see I WAS being very dense. Can't blame it on lack of coffee; it was pure wishful thinking. ;)

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

6. And what you are suggesting is probably why the prior condition insurance has the 6 month clause

You have to have been without coverage for six months in order to qualify for the National high risk pool. That's probably to prevent people from gaming the system to their advantage like you are suggesting. I hate that hole in coverage because a lot of bad stuff and incredible bills can happen to someone in 6 months. What if you get hit crossing the street by an uninsured driver? Who wold pay then? Was saving some money and then being hit with far more giant losses worth it? How lucky do you feel?


The actual ban on prior conditions for the private companies doesn't kick in until 2014.

[dkf]

7. If you are paying the penalty then you haven't been covered for the

Last six months. Right? So I'd say that provision isn't aimed at someone who chooses the penalty. And yes the danger would be an accident. But apparently 50 million live like that today. Heck Keith Olbermann Is dropping his coverage.

[dkf]

8. Oops. Darn iPhone dupes.

[iamjoy]

3. See the $750 As Insurance

Yeah, depending on what the penalties are, you could just look at them as "Guarantee Issue" insurance. It sounds kind of crazy buying insurance to get insurance, but I'm sure many people will do this calculation.

It would be so much simpler if we had a public option or some kind of Medicare Buy In. Then the government could say, "You buy insurance or we'll buy it for you."

[dkf]

5. The thing is health insurance isn't like other insurance where the

Likelihood of usage is low. It's more like an ongoing service. The risk would be a catastrophic event that necessitates instant hospitalization. But a car crash would be covered by car insurance. Many illnesses come on over time like hypertension diabetes etc. You have these warning signs that can give you time to get your insurance. And you can test for some things on your own after all. They have bloodpressure machines at drug stores.

[vaberella]

9. This is a valid point. But most on DU won't care; they want this bill killed. n/t

[dkf]

10. I'm just saying instead of letting the insurance companies jerk us around

We should jerk them around instead.

[Egnever]

11. It might actually

in fact i think they raised the penalty at the end just to try to make that option a little less atractive.

[Warren Stupidity]

12. Interesting idea. The initial tax is $95 - making even more sense.