As you know, every American individual will be required to sign on to Obamacare in the near future. Failure to do so will result in being charged a penalty.
The law itself states: "If an applicable individual fails to meet the requirement of subsection (a) [having a government-approved health-insurance policy]... there is hereby imposed a penalty with respect to the individual." Elsewhere, in a section entitled "Payment of Penalty," it says that individuals failing to carry a government-approved health insurance policy must pay a maximum penalty of $750.
Although----Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D.-Texas) told the House Judiciary Committee that the "penalty" that the health-care law enacted last year by Congress imposes on individuals who do not buy health insurance is not in fact a penalty.
"I would make the argument, one, that instead it is an incentive to do right--that it is not penalizing because penalty is punishment," Jackson-Lee told the Judiciary Committee.
"You're not punished if you have health insurance, in fact. And so you are, in fact, incentivized to have health insurance, rather than take the negative which is to suggest that because we have a penalty you are being punished," Rep. Jackson-Lee said.
So, if Obamacare is such a wonderful plan, then WHY are the Obama Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services (happily) handing out waivers to the bill?
"The Department of Health and Human Services had issued 733 waivers (link to complete list of those receiving waivers to date) to the health care law to corporations, labor unions, and non-profit organizations as of Jan. 26. That was up from 222 in December 2010." (Fred Lucas, CNSNEWS.com, Tuesday, February 22, 2011)
Isn't it about time INDIVIDUALS start to receive waivers to the "Patient Protection and Affordable Healthcare Act" as well? If you agree, please visit our FAX Center and request to send the "Obamacare Waiver Form" FAX we've created for this purpose! This fax will be sent to President Obama, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and to your Congressional Representative.
Perhaps, by requesting a waiver from Obamacare, (if granted) we can avoid paying the penalty...er, "incentive"...for not carrying a "government-approved health insurance policy!"