Did I hear Lawrence O'Donnell say that there is NO penalty for not complying with the HCR mandate?

[NNN0LHI]

On Hardball tonight? I think thats what I heard him say. Is that the truth? Are all the anti-mandaters running around with their sky is falling rhetoric full of it? There is no enforceable mandate after all?

What gives?

Don

[csziggy]

1. He said again on Olbermann's show

I can't imagine O'Donnell would make that claim if he were not sure.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. There is a penalty, but no mechanism to enforce it. n/t

[marybourg]

4. The IRS is going to enforce it , in the same way it enforces child

support and federal loan debt (however effective that is).

[jwirr]

8. Links?

[marybourg]

12. Had to go all the way to p.5 of my google search to find a link

I'd be willing to click on. The first 4 pages were all right wing sites. I didn't know there were so many.

http://www.factcheck.org/2010/01/enforcing-the-individual-mandate/

[truedelphi]

15. Thank you for the link. It should also be pointed out that in the end, the penalties

Are now standing at 2.5% of one's income. However they are limited to the cost of an average premium paid for on an annualk basis.

[jwirr]

18. Thank you.

[ChicagoSuz219]

13. Guess they would deduct it from any refunds. n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. I don't know how it enforces child support or federal loans.

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3590/text?version=enr&nid=t0:enr:2425

‘(A) WAIVER OF CRIMINAL PENALTIES- In the case of any failure by a taxpayer to timely pay any penalty imposed by this section, such taxpayer shall not be subject to any criminal prosecution or penalty with respect to such failure.
‘(B) LIMITATIONS ON LIENS AND LEVIES- The Secretary shall not--
‘(i) file notice of lien with respect to any property of a taxpayer by reason of any failure to pay the penalty imposed by this section, or
‘(ii) levy on any such property with respect to such failure.’.


If that's the way they enforce federal student loans, it's surprising they get repaid at all.

[NNN0LHI]

3. That is probably where I seen it

I not imagining things? Thats what he said?

Don

[Stevepol]

5. Yup. That's what he said.

[stray cat]

6. There is no penalty and there is no enforcement but of course the world is coming to an end

because of this mandate.....

[Hello_Kitty]

14. But wait a second

What happened to "EVERYONE HAS TO BE IN THE SYSTEM OR IT'LL BE AN ADVERSE SELECTION DEATH SPIRAL AND OMGZ WE'LL BE DOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!1!1!"?

So now it's no enforcement for the penalty, so no mandate really, which means the mandate wasn't necessary.

[FarLeftFist]

7. People are finally reading the bill.

[lxlxlxl]

9. 3% of net income? something really insignificant...definitely not worth freaking people out about

its enforceable but its light...no one is going to jail or going to go broke

[Bitwit1234]

10. YES YES YES it has been said from the first day the bill was signed

I posted it here also. I said that the republicans and the tea bags are screaming and hollering and there is no penality, another fox and republican congress lie.

[Orangepeel]

11. He said there is a penalty, but no penalty for not paying the penalty

which means there is no penalty. :D

[usregimechange]

16. Best summary here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8078601