A question about the current version of Health Insurance Reform:

[kiva]

I understand that someone can choose to pay a fine rather than purchase insurance. If someone chooses to pay the fine and then needs an expensive medical service to live, what happens? Are they refused medical services? Does the money from fines go toward some sort of emergency care fund for uninsured Americans?

[librechik]

1. If someone pays the fine rather than get in the pool, they must pay cash

for their expensive medical service. They are not covered.

[kiva]

2. So we just let them die?

Can this be officially called compassionate liberalism?

[FrenchieCat]

5. Yeah. The Death Panels take over!

:sarcasm:


Actually, my understanding is that the $750 annual fine is in essence
bare catastrophic health insurance in one sense.

I haven't seen text that states that folks who are dying will be turned away,
as that is what the fine is for; a fine, that if I understand it correctly,
will also be subsidized for those who can't afford even the fine.

[kiva]

7. The question isn't what the bill doesn't say, but what it

actually does say about this - are you saying that the fine absolutely provides catastrophic insurance? I don't mean your "my understanding" but specifically does it say this?

[librechik]

6. no, those rich bastards pay for themselves, just like they say they will!

The reason you CAN avoid the pool is because you have so much money you don't need it. They have the same thing with car insurance, even though it's "required:" if you don't need insurance becasue you can cover the damages you sign a waiver. No one who is poor will be forced to pay the fine or to go without treatment.

[kiva]

8. My question isn't about someone who is poor.

There are several threads that talk about a $10 per hour worker - if that $10 per hour worker (who isn't considered 'poor' since s/he will not get 100% subsidized care) chooses to pay the fine rather than get insurance, will s/he be able to get that vital medical care under this bill?

[librechik]

9. $10/hr is poor.

And we are all at a handicap trying to predict these things, becasue the final reconciliation bill won't be online till later today or tomorrow. So can we all just calm down? The bill will improve things for those who don't have an are wanting healthcare. That is inarguable.

[damntexdem]

10. Their case would be the same as now: a hospital cannot legally turn them away from emergency care.

And the costs of their care will still ultimately be paid by the rest of us.

[kiva]

11. That's what I assumed, but I wanted to know if the bill

specifically addressed this question.

[FrenchieCat]

3. Do you have the Bill's language for that, because I'd like to see it.

Thanks! :hi:

[kiva]

4. OK, do you have the bill's language that says what will

happen to an uninsured person under the bill?

[LynneSin]

12. But you do realize that the bill contains information on those who can't pay

There are alot of posts out there assuming that if you can't pay you're screwed and will be fine. What they fail to tell you is about provisions made for those who can't pay if the costs exceeds what they can afford.

It's just the death panels of DU trying to put one last scare into HCR. I think Prosense has a good post about how HCR affect the proverbial 'what if I make $10/hr and cant' afford to by insurance' question.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7940136&mesg_id=7940136

[kiva]

13. With all respect, neither Prosense nor any of the responses

answer the question.

Again, I'm not asking about the people who are deemed poor enough to either get the insurance for no cost or not be required to pay the fine. I am asking if anyone knows what the bill says about people who are considered to make enough money to pay all or a portion of their insurance premium, hence they need to pay a fine if they choose not to purchase insurance. If that person needs medical care they cannot afford, is there a mechanism in the bill that provides for their care or does it revert back to the current system?