[ska///235i]

Massachusetts Universal Health Care Law

Massachusetts Residents Required to Obtain Health Insurance by July 1, 2007

All Massachusetts residents should review the following notice carefully. This is of particular concern for those employees who are not covered under a health plan. If you are covered by a health plan, your requirement with regard to the law below is satisfied.

You may have heard that, starting July 1, 2007, Massachusetts law will require all residents over the age of 18 to have a minimum level of health insurance coverage (known as “creditable coverage”).

If you live in Massachusetts and you are over 18, you will be required to confirm that you have creditable health insurance coverage on your state income tax return, beginning with your 2008 filing (for calendar year 2007). If you do not have creditable coverage, you will lose your Massachusetts state personal tax exemption for the 2007 tax year. (Some exceptions may apply.)

Starting in 2008, if you fail to carry creditable coverage, you will be required to pay a penalty that is equal, in general, to half the annual cost of insurance coverage, as determined by state regulators. Massachusetts will first deduct the penalty amount from your tax return. If that is insufficient to cover the cost of the penalty, you will be forced to pay the remaining amount.


so...go get coverd

[Nikki]

Yeah I saw this, bullshit. I can't afford health insurance until I get a job, and even then I dunno.

[ska///235i]

I guess is more fair for tax payers, but then is bad for those that doesn't have coverage from their work

[Nikki]

yeah like if you work at mcdonalds and make $7/hr

[Brunotheboxer]

oh yeah, like this will work.

[riceqx2]

This is all so that Mitt Romney can run for president and say that while he was governer he made sure that all Mass. residents have 'Universal Health Coverage'.
But I suppose that if you worked under the table you would not be filing income tax returns anyway so therefore would'nt be paying a penalty. (I believe that Burger King empoyees would be covered through their employer)
When he looses his bid for the presidency, we will all be stuck with this politicaly driven law which will be a win-win for the state for not having to grant the personal exemption for filers without coverage.
He is a total asshole, hates gays, and...well, he's republican. Nuf said.

[DasBlitz]

I think it is absurd. If an individual wants health care he or she can get it themselves.

I love the advertisements in which people are stating how great it is to have health insurance. No shit but if I don't want it then I should have the right to choose.

haha. Isn't Mass suppose to be liberal?

[larryn]

I can see both sides of the coin. I work in healthcare, and see costs going through the roof as newer/better technologies come about. I also see more and more people not paying their medical bills and Medicare and Medicaid cutting reimbursement rates to medical providers. For instance, a physician level 2 visit gets billed at $125. Medicare only pays $23 and expects you to eat the remainder.

Instead of the government paying more (which they most certainly should), they decided to stick it to the people who can't afford it now. This was in the news, but not really focussed on while it was passing. Some fry cook at McDonalds isn't going to know how to fight this. Seems like the State Legislature is just picking on people who can't help themselves, if you ask me.

I know this was predicated by the Healthcare Lobby, but they were just trying to get a better reimbursement rate, not to stick it to the people who can't afford it now. For most healthy kids, this is nothing more than a sharp pay cut.

[vs60r]

What is left unsaid though is how the health insurance companies are taking advantage of this by cutting certain plans that they offer and requiring people to subsribe to higher cost options.

I used to pay $190 a month for my kid, because of this, BCBS cut that plan and is requiring me to cover my kid under the "family" plan which is another $150 a month extra.

[ska///235i]

you're right....the ones that are really affected are those with below entry level jobs that doesn’t provide health coverage and are also the ones that have no idea how to fight against this law

I use to have a plan that was very suitable for me (since I'm not marry yet and have no kids). Now I'm paying a plan that cost almost 30% more because the providers are taking the advantage

[ska///235i]

and what do you ppl think of the Trans Fat Oil thing.....they're trying to push all the restaurants to use non-trans oil

Comon....if you like to get fat, thats totally up to you LOL

[Kev]

Originally Posted by ska

and what do you ppl think of the Trans Fat Oil thing.....they're trying to push all the restaurants to use non-trans oil

Comon....if you like to get fat, thats totally up to you LOL

the trans-fat doesn't just make you fat, it increases your risk of getting a heart attack, so I'd say ban it for good.

[Kev]

Requiring the people of MA to get mandatory health insurance while not providing a low cost alternative through the state government is just absurd. This is just a move of the ex-Governor to boast his presidential campaign, just like the struck-down proposal to make the Mass Pike free from the west of 128. Guess where they are getting the money to fix the pike from? It's still tax money!

[larryn]

You know where those tolls are going to? They are funding the Turnpike Authority! They set up this huge monster of a government agency to manage the tollbooths. If they didn't collect the tolls, they wouldn't need the Turnpike Authority. Mass Highway Dept does the exact same thing as the tasks that wouldn't get done on the Pike, if the Turnpike Authority disappeared tonight.

Talk about bullshit government waste at our expense!

[Kev]

Compare the road condition of the turnpike vs SE Expressway (I-93), which one is better? Both are controlled by the Turnpike Authority though.

[larryn]

Each have their good and bad parts. Think of all the equipment that could be repainted and go to the Mass Highway Dept to take care of roadways. Most of the maintenance is done via contract anyway. The other work vehicles are underutilized by the Turnpike Authority compared to Mass Highways' equipment.