Thread: Senate health care bill would tax uninsured Americans, exemp

Senate health care bill would tax uninsured Americans, exempt illegal aliens
November 30, 9:34 AM
DC Immigration Examiner Andy Arnold

1 comment
Senate Democrats fast-track of H.R. 3590, the Senate version of the health care bill, includes an amendment authored by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that clears the way for illegal aliens to opt out of a proposed tax on individuals who refuse to buy health insurance by 2014.

Both the House and Senate bills require applicable individuals to buy health insurance. If you are an applicable individual and you do not have insurance, you pay a penalty tax to the IRS.

The Senate expects to open debate on the bill today after barely passing a procedural process in a 60-39 vote Nov. 21. Reid hopes to hand a successful bill to President Obama by Christmas.

Under the Reid amendment, an uninsured U.S. citizen living in the United States pays the penalty tax. On the other hand, if you are illegally in the country and you are uninsured, you do not pay the penalty tax, according to an analysis by Keith Hennessey.

In 2016 the Reid amendment’s penalty tax (with some exceptions) is $750 per person. It phases up from $95 in 2014 and $350 in 2015. By 2019, the penalty tax would be $794 per person (using the Congressional Budget Office’s inflation assumptions.)

CBO says that, in 2019 under the Reid amendment there would be about 24 million uninsured people, “about one-third of whom would be unauthorized immigrants.â€

Great, that means they won't owe future taxes when a "future" amnesty comes around!

so illegals can opt out and not have to pay the tax or fine.
yet americans can not do the same thing?

So what is the benefit of an immigrant coming here legally and becoming a citizen? It costs a fortune and they are subject to fines under this hideous bill. So much easier and cheaper to come here illegally and take advantage of free handouts. In fact, they would lose a lot of benefits if they become citizens. So much for the pathway to citizenship argument.