Most filers who received government subsidies to buy Obamacare plans had to pay money back to the IRS this year, according to an H&R Block analysis released Monday that looks at the health law’s first full tax season. The tax-prep giant studied its own massive customer base and concluded that two-thirds of its filers who got subsidies from Obamacare were overpaid during the course of the … [Read more...] about No free ride: Two-thirds of Obamacare recipients had to repay subsidies to IRS
Archives for April 2015
Cleaning Up The ObamaCare Mess
Republicans are being ridiculed by the right and the left for weighing ideas that would rescue ObamaCare health insurance policies for people in 37 states if the petitioners prevail in King v Burwell. “Republicans Are Now Trying To Pass Obamacare Extension To Save Their Own Asses,” writes Allen Clifton in Forward Progressives. “GOP Gets Ready to Save the Day If the Court Strikes Down Obamacare … [Read more...] about Cleaning Up The ObamaCare Mess
Bacchus Barua: Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2014 Report
(Originally published November, 26 2014) This edition of Waiting Your Turn indicates that, overall, waiting times for medically necessary treatment have not improved since last year. Specialist physicians surveyed across 10 provinces and 12 specialties report a median waiting time of 18.2 weeks between referral from a general practitioner and receipt of treatment. This wait time is 96% longer … [Read more...] about Bacchus Barua: Waiting Your Turn: Wait Times for Health Care in Canada, 2014 Report
HHS Challenges HSA Plans
King vs. Burwell is on the horizon. If the plaintiffs are successful, so goes the theory, subsidies end in 37 exchanges operated by the Department of Health and Human Services and serviced by HealthCare.gov. Coverage gets more expensive, and people won’t be able to afford their policies. But, this outcome was foretold all the way back in the Senate mark-up of the proposed ACA legislation. … [Read more...] about HHS Challenges HSA Plans
27.49% of Everyone’s Tax Bill Is Spent on Health Care
Every year since 2011, the White House has used tax time to post a "Federal Taxpayer Receipt" showing taxpayers how their federal tax dollars are being spent. President Obama introduced the concept in his 2011 State of the Union address, and Wednesday the White House posted the fifth installment so taxpayers can see how "tax dollars are being spent on priorities like education, veterans benefits, … [Read more...] about 27.49% of Everyone’s Tax Bill Is Spent on Health Care
Average Fine For Noncompliance With ObamaCare Is $1130, Expert Testifies
As millions of Americans scramble to file their tax returns, many are shocked by the full cost of ObamaCare’s individual mandate. “Those who failed to obtain minimum essential health insurance coverage last year will have had to send the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) a check for $1,130, on average,” Doug Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, testified today before a … [Read more...] about Average Fine For Noncompliance With ObamaCare Is $1130, Expert Testifies
Health-Care Law Trips Up Some at Tax Time
The tax filing season has uncovered lingering wrinkles in the 2010 health-care law that have caused headaches for consumers who incorrectly estimated their income, didn’t use a government exchange to buy an insurance plan or changed coverage during the year. Marta Chapman saw her anticipated $850 federal refund wiped out because she received too much in advance tax credits in 2014 to pay her … [Read more...] about Health-Care Law Trips Up Some at Tax Time
A Bill That Actually Reforms Medicare
Over the long term, the savings from MACRA are enormous. Tomorrow, the Senate will consider H.R. 2, a Medicare-reform bill that has already acquired a classic Beltway acronym, MACRA. Conservatives should give their full support: According to a report released last week, MACRA not only would pay for itself but would result in large net savings to the Medicare program over time, reducing unfunded … [Read more...] about A Bill That Actually Reforms Medicare