November 21, 2009
What's Inside:
Should health insurance be mandatory?
Proposal would fine violators up to $3,800
Proposal would fine violators up to $3,800
Nearly 5 percent of patients to St. Joseph’s free clinic are eligible for health insurance through their employer but choose to opt out so their paycheck is bigger.
Clinic staff intently look for these violators and, when caught, urge them to sign up for a medical plan through their employer. Only the uninsured poor are eligible for free health care at the Social Welfare Board.
But under a new proposal, the government could fine such violators up to $3,800 for failing to buy health insurance, essentially requiring that everyone have medical coverage, much like car insurance.
Penalties for failing to get coverage would range from $750 to $950 a year for individuals and $1,500 to $3,800 for families.
Proponents of the provision, which was circulated in Washington last week by a senior Democrat as part of any health overhaul, say it spreads risk among as wide a group as possible, which helps lower overall costs. The vast majority of Americans receive health insurance through an employer-sponsored health plan.
At the Social Welfare Board clinic, a lack of resources has staff working hard to weed out persons who have the means to get health care elsewhere. The clinic has seen a nearly 12 percent increase in patients over the last year.
On Monday, the clinic assigned a single employee to screen patients through the eligibility process. The new standard expedites patient care, but also allows the clinic to perform a more thorough screening.
“We have to make sure who we’re seeing are truly indigent and have no other means of health care,” Executive Director Linda Judah said.
“We have a pretty good grasp of the companies that have health care. We question each person, and we will deny them services if they’ve opted out of utilizing their employer’s health care plans.”
One company whose employees are regularly seen at the clinic is Triumph Foods. The pork processing plant opened in early 2006 and now has nearly 2,500 workers, easily making it one of the region’s largest employers.
Chief Administrative Officer Patt Lilly said about 70 percent of hourly employees opt for Triumph’s group health insurance plan after becoming eligible following six months on the job.
Mr. Lilly said the majority who don’t get health insurance do so to save from the deductions in their paycheck. In some cases, they are a dependent of someone with health insurance, he said.
“I think while some people may not place dependence on health coverage, (Triumph employees) do take health coverage at least for themselves,” said Mr. Lilly, adding interest in health care coverage has grown among employees in the last two years.
Ahmad Safi can be reached at
ahmadsafi@npgco.com. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Universal health care won't work without the mandatory participation. That is, if we want to keep the insurance industry alive. They are going to take a heavy hit in any case but without a huge pool to pay for the end result, it will fall entirely upon the government and everybody seems dead set against THAT! If we are going to be a compassionate society we just have to face the reality that 'being nicer' has to cost somehow, somewhere. Best that it be out in the open and not hidden inside of taxes or higher premiums or in government programs the way it is now. Maybe now there will be some effort put into efficiency and getting more kids to go to college so we can supply the need for nurses, doctors, administrators, etc. that will be the result of universal health care.....
like sen. oren hatch said 15 million americans can aford insurance or the$3,800.00 for not havining insurence THIS ALL SOUNDS LIKE AN INSURENE MONOPLTY MY WIFE AND I ARE OF THE 15MILLION WHO CANT FORD ON FIXTED INCOME
03221936
If that is your birthday the you should be on Medicare and if you cannot afford a supplement then Medicare Advantage maybe your best option.
I do have insurance through work, but my god to force people to have it that cant afford it is insane. I pay a fair rate for crappy insurance $225.00 per month. I have to fight to get any claim paid and they close claim cases saying they did not get info requestes even though I faxed, mailed and e-mailed it to them twice. Insurance has become a real joke aimed at steeling money from hard working people so they can pay a huge bonus to some jack nut.
They are only going to force people who could afford and choose not to have it. Also lower income will get tax credit or discount on purchase. That is the problem with all the info, it sounds ludicrous unless you have all the facts.
what is wrong with you people? You make me sick!
Health insurance should not be mandatory, and if it does need to be, than it should be mandatory for everyone, not just the people who can afford it. What if I want to pay medical cost out of my pocket? Are you saying I should be punished?
If anyone should be punished it ought to be the ones who choose not to pay for insurance and still dont pay for their own health care costs.
Plain and simple, pay your own way!
Oh, by the way, this whole thing isnt about health care anyway. Its nothing but a smoke screen for communism.
smoke screen? for what? everyone should pay a low monthly payment to the gov. , then we will all get low rate's.sound's good to me mr. obama.
We pay more for insurance when people opt out. Companies should not allow this because it increases the cost for everyone else. Plus when these people end up needing emergency care, we pay again in higher medical bills for those of us who do pay.
As it is, I am paying for my insurance and I am paying for insurance for people who do not have insurance. This happens when the UNinsured need medical help. Heartland is one of the most expensive hospitals to go to in the region. Is it possible that that is due to the amount of people, who need hospital/medical care, who cannot pay for it? If you CANNOT pay for it, that's one thing. If you don't WANT to pay for it, that's entirely different. They keep talking about how much money it will take to fix the health system. If everybody was on insurance, the load might not be that big. On another related front...People complain about too much UNnecessary emergency room usage. Why not have something like a clinic and an emergency room, side-by-side. You go to an information desk and tell them your problem and they point you to the emergency room or to the clinic, depending upon the need. Then the emergency room is used for its intended purpose, which might help keep costs down.