Chairman’s Mark
Page 28-29, Page 30-31 of PDF
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Personal Responsibility Requirement. Beginning in 2013, all U.S. citizens and legal residents would be required to purchase coverage through (1) the individual market, a public program such as Medicare, Medicaid, the Children‘s Health Insurance Program, Veteran‘s Health Care Program, or TRICARE or through an employer (or as a dependent of a covered employee) in the small group market, meeting at least the requirements of a bronze plan, or (2) in the large group market, in a plan with first dollar coverage for prevention-related services as recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force – except in cases where value-based insurance design is used and cannot have a maximum out-of-pocket limit greater than that provided by the standards established for HSA current law limit.
Exemptions from the requirement to have health coverage would be allowed for religious objections that are consistent with those allowed under Medicare, and for undocumented aliens. An individual enrolled in a grandfathered plan would be deemed to have met the responsibility requirement.
In order to ensure compliance, individuals would be required to report on their Federal income tax return the months for which they maintain the required minimum health coverage for themselves and all dependents under age 18. In addition to this self-attestation by individuals of qualified coverage, insurers (including employers who self-insure and therefore act as insurers), must report information on health insurance coverage information to both the covered individual and to the Internal Revenue Service. This information includes months of coverage in the tax year and individuals covered on the policy and may include other relevant information. A similar reporting requirement would apply to employers with respect to individuals enrolled in group health plans if the reporting is not provided by the insurer (for example in the case of self- insured plans) and for those enrolled in public health insurance plans.
Excise Tax. The consequence for not maintaining insurance would be an excise tax. If a taxpayer‘s MAGI is between 100-300 percent of FPL, the excise tax for failing to obtain coverage for an individual in a taxpayer unit (either as a taxpayer or an individual claimed as a dependent) is $750 per year. However, the maximum penalty for the taxpayer unit is $1,500. If a taxpayer‘s MAGI is above 300 percent of FPL the penalty for failing to obtain coverage for an individual in a taxpayer unit (either as a taxpayer or as an individual claimed as a dependent) is $950 year. However, the maximum penalty amount a family above 300 percent of FPL would pay is $3,800.
And there is no public option, just a sad attempt at the co-op system that is underfunded and mired in bureaucratic regulations. Instead, if you are eligible for an existing government program, then you will be forced to buy junk insurance from the very people who caused this problem:
Page 18, Page 20 of PDF
Definition of Levels. The bronze benefit package, which would represent minimum creditable coverage (MCC), would be equal to the actuarial value of 65 percent with an out-of-pocket limit up to the Health Savings Account (HSA) current law limit ($5,950 for individuals and $11,900 for families in 2010) indexed to the per capita growth in premiums for the insured market as determined by the Secretary of HHS. The silver benefit package would have an actuarial value of 70 percent with the out-of-pocket limits for MCC. The gold benefit package would have an actuarial value of 80 percent with the out-of-pocket limits for MCC. The platinum benefit package would have an actuarial value of 90 percent with the out-of-pocket limits for MCC. A separate young invincible policy would be available for those 25 years or younger. This plan would be a catastrophic only policy in which the catastrophic coverage level would be set at the HSA current law limit, but prevention benefits would be exempt from the deductible.
$5.950 for 65 percent of out-of-pocket?
Notice Baucus didn't have the cajones to put the prices for the other plan levels in here.
This is a mandate to buy junk insurance from a corporate Democrat who should be ashamed of himself and driven from office for gross incompetence.
This bill should the albatross around his neck, sinking any re-election hopes he might have.