Exemptions from individual responsibility requirements in Health care bill:

[The Straight Story]

`(5) EXEMPTIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS- In the case of an individual who is seeking an exemption certificate under section 2237(f) from any requirement or tax imposed by section 5000A, the following information:

`(A) In the case of an individual seeking exemption based on the individual's status as a member of an exempt religious sect or division, as a member of a health care sharing ministry, as an Indian, or as an individual eligible for a hardship exemption, such information as the Secretary shall prescribe.

`(B) In the case of an individual seeking exemption based on the lack of affordable coverage or the individual's status as a taxpayer with household income less than 100 percent of the poverty line, the information described in paragraphs (3) and (4), as applicable.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:1:./temp/~c111FQACN1:e34774:

[kenny blankenship]

1. Oh great. So members of whackjob Xtian sects can claim exemption because the rule is "ungodly"

but citizens sano et compos mentis who object to corporatist takeover of the national health face fines and possible slammer time for not paying the annual protection money.

[The Straight Story]

4. Not just christian sects (nt)

[salvorhardin]

2. 5B is especially harsh

The 2009 HHS poverty line for an individual is $10,830, for a family of four it's $22,050. Of course, I can see why they wrote it this way. If they made the exemption anything greater than the federal poverty line then the side effect would be to greatly increase the Medicaid rolls. Still, I don't see how an individual making ~$11K a year can afford to contribute anything. That they will, under this bill, be forced is IMHO worse than having no healthcare at all.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. "Trickle Down" at it's ugliest.