Got medical insurance?
Well if you don't, you're in the minority in this State. More than 96% of you have it, while last year, 45,000 tax filers did not and paid a fine of 76 dollars a month for every month you didn't have insurance. This year, the fine goes to 89.00 per month for 2009.
Based on a sliding scale matched to your income is how they figure you can pay for it. Around 8,000 people have appealed their fines based on hardship. With so many losing their jobs, over 500,000 so far this year, I can't imagine how many will end up paying a fine for not having health insurance at tax time in April.
It's not to late to get insurance... but it will cost you. You can get a quick quote from Commonwealth Connector, (on the web)
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 9:33 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
I get that we are a good state for offering insurance to everyone. But how can we penalize someone who does not get insurance because they can not afford it? Doesn't that seem a bit ridiculous? I lost my job more than a year ago, and could not afford the cobra payments to hold on to my insurance, can not afford the payments to the state plans either. I am barely making the mortgage payments. You telling me I am going to have to pay the state around $1000 because I don't have insurance? Good luck to them getting that money out of me!
J Price,
Don't shot the messenger... I'm in the same boat as you. Our only hope at this point is to go through the appeal process... next year.
I believe it's a State thing and the DOR will enforce the fines.
How do we appeal this Jim? Any insight would be greatly appreciated as this is just another bill I can not afford to pay.
I have a question. This money they collect in penaltys, where does that money go? Should it be paying for the insurance of people who can not pay for insurance? And has anyone really ever paid this fine, or do people just appeal it or ignore it? I can tell you that I won’t be paying up, I simply don’t have the money. I will owe taxes on my unemployment and a penalty for not having insurance, the total of those 2 amounts will probably be more than I earned this year. Isn’t that a bit over the top?
Brian,Annon,
When you fill out your IRS forms in April, Mass DOT requires proof of medical insurance. If you don't have it, you will be assessed at that time.
I will find out the mechanism for the appeal and let you know here.
The fines collected, if any are, are going into the Medical Insurance fund, which helps keep the costs down for those of us who can pay the price.
It's over the top Annon and I'm sure if we owe any money to DOR they will get it somehow. Filing for an extension is always a alternative to the inevitable.
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