New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) on Wednesday signed a bill into law that will reinstate the Obamacare individual mandate as the state attempts to stabilize its health care markets The Hill reports.
The bill implements a statewide fee for New Jersey residents who don't obtain health insurance through their job, Medicaid, or another source, NJ.com reports. The plan is similar to a provision of the Affordable Care Act that was repealed by the GOP tax law last year. New Jersey Democrats sent the bill to Murphy's office last month, making the state the first to reinstate the individual mandate after the Republican repeal of the federal provision.
New Jersey lawmakers say the state mandate is necessary to stabilize health insurance costs that were adversely affected by the mandate's repeal.
Republican efforts in Congress "will usher in an era of higher health insurance costs for everyone and lower health coverage rates. We want to protect New Jersey from the negative impact," state Sen. Troy Singleton (D) told NJ.com.
Just under 200,000 New Jersey residents paid the individual mandate fees in 2015 rather than obtaining health insurance, the website reports. Those funds will now be directed to the New Jersey Health Insurance Premium Security Fund, which Murphy also signed into law this week.
Total fees collected that year under the mandate equaled about $93 million, according to the website.
Republicans have called the individual mandate an unfair tax on Americans who choose not to purchase health insurance, and made overturning the Obama-era provision of the Affordable Care Act a top priority of the GOP Congress last year.
The Hill
This is so unfair and mean to those who cant afford health insurance and thus get fined by the state ppl who I know cant purchase it
ReplyDeleteThank the Vaad for looking out for you now premiums will shoot up more and those who cant afford will get taxed.
ReplyDeletewhy would premiums shoot up if more pple have insurance, it can make it go lower if more pple are paying in.
DeletePremiums are going up because of Obamacare, this is not forcing anyone to have insurance. There is a run why Trump got rid of the individual mandate
DeleteDr and hospital bills are ridiculously inflated and the people that have deductibles are stuck with crazy high bills.
DeleteI don't blame this on the Vaad, Murphy would have won regardless. However it does show that the Vaad is out of step with the interets of the people in Lakewood.
DeleteIt takes an Obama to elect a Trump. The only way that people will learn to vote for a republican is by having a democrat.
ReplyDeleteSo many adults in Lakewood are off heath insurance they just cant afford it anymore now they have to pay a fine for it so they can cover the insurance of others who cant afford it. Brilliant Liberal spread the wealth disorder
ReplyDeleteJoin United Refuah Health Share. $219 a month for a single person. $500 deductible, then 80% coshare. After $2,000, it's 100% covered.
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The problem with NJ voters is that they want their government to do everything, and they don't want to sacrifice a thing in order to lower their taxes. They will keep on electing the same people that will tax them into poverty, then, when they don't have two nickels to rub together, they'll wonder why they were let down!
That doesn't make any sense. The States benefits are geared overwhelmingly to 2 groups. Lower income, who do not pay taxes, and public unions, who benefit from the higher taxes. The rest of the state gets very little. And a full 7.5% of the budget goes to paying debt service on money the State borrowed.
DeleteThe State spends very little on the middle class. You need a magnifying glass to find the Capital Improvements expenditure in the State Budget.
The problem is the same that you have in the federal elections. People who don't pay taxes (combined with unions), want higher taxes, so they can get more free stuff, people who pay taxes want lower taxes.
Once those who don't pay taxes, or receive more benefits than they pay are the majority, you end up like Venezuela.
THANK YOU LAKEWOOD VAAD YOU REALLY LOOK OUT FOR THE TZIBBUR
ReplyDeleteI have had insurance for years it is like a tax, but somehow, when you claim, there is always an excuse why this is not covered that is not covered, well it could but your doctor entered the wrong code. In any other business it would be RICO, but here it is fine.
ReplyDeleteThis nut Murphy has no problem spending other people's money, he also decided we should pay for illegal aliens college tuition. Our own citizens have to take loans, if they want grants their parent's need means tests, but illegals are to be treated better than our own.
As Maggie Thatcher said the problem with socialism is you eventually run out of other people's money.
Murphy himself should be wealth taxed until he is as poor as the poorest worker in NJ, but all communists make laws & taxes for others not themselves.
I hope Murphy doesn't get another term.
AnonymousMay 31, 2018 at 2:00 PM
ReplyDeleteJoin United Refuah Health Share. $219 a month for a single person. $500 deductible, then 80% coshare. After $2,000, it's 100% covered.
Liberty healthshare has been going years. I understand this is a copy, but with Bliayin hora such large families & birth rate & the best doctors, is this sustainable? What is their history of covering claims? This could end up scarey for some it needs more scrutiny IMHO.
It maybe a copy of Liberty healthshares, but it is much more expensive than liberty healthshares. I like the idea, and wish them well, but you question Liberty Healthshare sustainability, when it has been around for a decade, Yet United Refuah is brand new.
DeleteThere are other larger healthshares than Liberty that have been around even longer. the reason that you hear people talk about Liberty, is because they are the only other one that accepts Jews.
can't really call out the V aad on this one.
ReplyDeleteBut what Rishus by the governor...a sign of what's to come...
ReplyDeleteI'm a Lakewood accountant. who see the tremendous pain the individual mandate causes to Lakewood families (and non-Lakewood and individuals) who are really struggling with parnosah and cannot afford insurance.(They wish they could .)The end of the individual mandate was such a wonderful relieving feeling for everyone involved It really hurts to see this get passed.