Affordable Health Care Law

[mrs.b]

I figured you probably had to read a lot about the law and how people would be fined.



But, it is still the law that these people have to receive treatment when they go to the emergency room. If they can't pay, taxpayers still cover the bill. People can still choose to be uninsured, but they will have to pay a fine just like you would if you chose not to wear a seat belt or purchase car insurance.

I've probably read more of the 906 page document than the lawmakers who voted it in, but I'll admit I've not read it word-for-word yet. That said, I've mentioned before I'm not an HR-focused worker; it's a tiny piece of my job - I'd say maybe 10% which is why I just call it an HR hat, not my job - but I earned an HR-focused BSBA (which only really differed from a regular BSBA by two classes) because it's the one piece of my job where you have to know enough to recognize when you're over your head and need help because gray areas are not obvious until you've stepped in them. Responsibilities like benefit design and policy compliance are thankfully managed by people in corporate who just do that, because I'd probably have changed careers if I had to deal with this law's nonsense on a daily basis.

Still, it was all over the news last year that the Supreme Court confirmed the penalty imposed by ACA is a tax. A couple months ago, the Treasury Dept confirmed the tax will be collected when filing income tax returns. ACA exempts people with low income where premiums exceed 8% of income after employer contribution and fed subsidy, people who do not need to file a tax return, or people of certain faiths.

I'd venture to say homeless make below the threshold requiring them to submit a tax return. No tax return = no penalty. No penalty = no obligation to get health care. No health care = the supposed protections against unpaid medical bills are moot.

In essence, at it's best I see ACA as a benign tumor; we know it is there but it does not harm us other than maybe being a bit unsightly or inconvenient sometimes. At it's worst, it's going to drain the already struggling lower-middle class that could not afford health care to begin, are now obligated to get it (though the fines are minimal this year, they increase exponentially year over year), and do not qualify for much assistance. There were and are better areas to focus government efforts and taxpayer monies that would have improved our healthcare system and availability of care, but as tends to be the case, our lawmakers look at options and select the most poorly-designed one and insist they've found the Holy Grail.