Massachusetts Website Calls Mitt Romney's Health Care Mandate A 'Tax Penalty'

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/mitt-romney-health-care-mandate-tax-penalty_n_1652391.html

The description of Mitt Romney's Massachusetts' health care legislation as a "tax penalty" on official state government websites could add fuel to the debate over descriptions of the individual mandate, implemented in the Bay State and then nationally.

"Every year, you will need to show proof of health insurance on your state income tax return. If you do not have health insurance, you will face a stiff tax penalty," says the page, titled Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Tips and Resources.
http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/consumer/insurance/health-insurance/ma-health-care-reform.html



The current website for Massachusetts Health Connector, the state's clearinghouse for health insurance plans and payment, includes a page of tables to help residents "estimate the tax penalties" they can face for being uninsured for all or part of the year.

The "tax penalty" phrasing on these websites, which are some of the primary resources available to help Massachusetts residents navigate the series of state health insurance plans and regulations, appear to contradict Romney's own statements on the insurance mandate he put in place.