Form 1

Have you wondered what it might *really* look like to have national health care?

In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to file your state taxes you file "Form 1", Resident Income Tax Return. In addition is this note:
IMPORTANT: Schedule HC, Health Care Information, MUST be filed with Form 1. Failure to do so will result in a delay in the processing of your return.

Schedule HC is how you declare to the Commonwealth that you are a law abiding, health care buying citizen. Just like with income derived illegally, you must declare it, and failure to do so and pay any associated penalties, well you could end up like Al Capone. It was ultimately tax evasion that did him in, maybe gangsterism is harder to prove.

On Schedule HC you must state that you have MCC, Minimum Creditable Coverage. If your income is less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, you are exempt. That level is around $16K for an individual, or $33K for a family of four. There is a religious exemption too; I suppose this is for Christian Scientists and those that believe, truly believe under penalty of perjury, in faith healing.

Any exemption must be granted by the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority (really!) If you don't have a viable exemption, then did your employer offer you affordable health care that met the minimum creditable coverage requirement? If not, then I suppose they will go after the Walmarts of the world.

If so, and you didn't get it, Go To the Health Care Penalty Worksheet to calculate your penalty amount. It is a sliding scale, so not to worry. If you make more than $54K you are assumed to be able to afford health insurance. The premiums you are expected to afford are scaled based on age, e.g., age 21 - $156/month, age 52 - $338/month, age 63 - $445/month.

Your penalty, if this should befall you, is also scaled - see Table 6. It can range from $418 (21 year olds who try to scam the system) to $696 for seniors.

Enforced through the state tax code. Ratchet this to a national tax system. I am ok with that, and do believe our destiny as a nation is to have a national health insurance plan. It is inevitable, it will make us and our companies globally competitive, it is morally right, and All Those Things. Those that would oppose this destiny are what - out for scaling back all of what government offers? Like an onion? What is left when you scale back the layers of the onion - more onion. So what have you gained? Get with the program already. But I know, they are only doing it for political gain. As so much of what is done these days - under false premises.

The last day the Senate was in session was Thursday 3/24. A small business bill was up for reauthorization. Lots of interesting amendments which have nothing to do with the small business handout, er, "incentive funding" bill. One of them, offered by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, would cause the health care reform effort to stop-in-its-tracks, until all the U.S. vs. State lawsuits are settled. Again, playing this for political gain.

Health care reform, just say yes. If not now, tomorrow; if not tomorrow, then it will be in a future that is coming to you. Unless of course you have some rare disease that is a pre-existing condition, you can't get coverage, and you kick the bucket first. But its coming to a street you live on, just a matter of when.