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Editorial
Obama penalty finally gets real
Friday, April 10, 2015
"Why should I pay for something I don't need," one young worker was heard to remark when she found out the Affordable Care Act requires her to purchase health insurance.
That's the whole idea of Obamacare -- if everyone has to buy it, the cost of health care will be spread out among more people, theoretically making it "affordible" for everyone.
The bill is finally coming due with this year's tax returns.
If you didn't have health insurance in 2014, you had to pay a penalty this year. This year, it was the higher of $95 or 1 percent of taxable household income. Next year, the fine will be even larger.
The issue was complicated in Nebraska and Iowa, where a large health insurance company failed because of a "liquidity crisis," leaving 120,000 without insurance. And, worried about added pressure on the Nebraska budget, the Unicameral recently turned down a move to expand Medicaid under the ACA, leaving more thousands more without coverage.
Meanwhile opponents are preparing a major campaign to revoke the ACA. Will Congress kill Obamacare, despite its popularity among those with pre-existing conditions, older children still able to use their parent's health insurance and other advantages?
Stay tuned, and keep an eye on next year's tax return.