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December 02, 2007

Paging Dr. IRS ...

edwards_healthform.jpg

John Edwards makes clear that he's handing over mandatory medical enforcement to them as soon as he is inaugurated.

Under the Edwards plan, when Americans file their income taxes, they would be required to submit a letter from an insurance provider confirming coverage for themselves and their dependents.If someone did not submit proof of coverage, the Internal Revenue Service would notify a newly established regional or state-based health-care agency (which Edwards has dubbed a Health Care Market[sic]).

Those regional agencies would then evaluate whether the uninsured individual was eligible for Medicare (which covers those over 65), Medicaid (which covers the indigent), or S-CHIP (the State Children's Health Insurance Program which targets the working poor).

If the individual was not eligible for either of those existing public programs, the regional-health care agency would enroll the individual into the lowest cost health-care plan available in that area. The lowest-cost option could be a new Medicare-like public option or a private insurance plan.

The newly covered individual would not only have access to health benefits but would also be responsible for making monthly payments with the help of a tax credit.

The exact size of the financial obligation would vary according to a person's income (lower-income Americans would receive larger tax credits).

If a person did not meet his or her monthly financial obligation for a set period of time (perhaps a year, perhaps longer) the Edwards plan would empower the federal government to garnish an individual's wages for purposes of collecting "back premiums with interest and collection costs."


Isn't that special?

(previous)
(h/t Jay Tea)

Posted by Darleen at December 2, 2007 04:51 PM

Comments

Sounds good to me.

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at December 2, 2007 09:10 PM

The idea that the government would collect taxes to pay for services shocks and appalls.

Posted by: Josh at December 3, 2007 12:07 PM

What conservatives won't tell you (at least, not unless they're out and out Libertarians) is that in their Ideal America, there would be no Federal government services of any kind -- and therefore no need for Federal taxes. Everyone would be on their own, and the poor and indigent would would taken care of by the churches. Also, no laws against guns.

Kind of like the 19th century Wild West. Or Baghdad.

Sounds great, don't it?

Posted by: Brad at December 3, 2007 02:28 PM

Just dandy. So...just so I have this clear...If I'm so flat broke that I can't even afford health insurance, the government is going to force me to incur an even greater debt, with collection fines and interest, that I won't be able to pay off either?

And because this program will be 'available', it can give people who employ low-wage workers an excuse to not provide health care - since, after all, the government will be 'providing' it to people who don't have health care, and employers will be able to rationalize that the gubmint can do it cheaper.

Not to mention, it adds more paperwork (and more expense per tax return) to our already burdensome tax system. And I wonder what the cost of mailing out the millions of letters to people who have health insurance so that the insured populace can turn around and mail them in to the IRS will be?

And this automatic incurring of a new debt - no room for error there, is there? Considering the IRS completely LOST our business tax return a couple of years ago, I'm not encouraged that they're going to enroll me in something that will automatically start charging me money if they don't have a piece of paper from me.

How is this a SERVICE?

(And yes, I freely admit that it would be fantastic if the poor and indigent were taken care of by churches - when someone has to ask for a handout instead of just getting it in the mail every month, they're a lot more likely to get off their duffs and make it so they don't have to ask. The only thing the Feds should be funding are things that are too big to be done by smaller government entities, i.e. interstates, national security, etc.)

Posted by: Alice H at December 3, 2007 06:07 PM