A person who can afford health insurance, but chooses not to buy it? Does such a person exist? I'm sure out of 300,000,000 people that applies to somebody. Not a common circumstance though.
Well I obviously exist, so that answers that question. I do have accident insurance though (that would cover an ER bill in something like a car wreck).
I don't have it because it's cheaper to pay $80 the one or two times a year I have to visit a clinic than to pay a $20 co-pay plus a monthly premium (though my job started offering a cheap plan that would only deduct $25 a paycheck it's still not enough for me to come out ahead.)
Are you going to get health insurance in 2014 or pay the tax?I'll get it since I'll probably get subsidized anyway. I just don't see a point in paying the unsubsidized costs prior to then. Obviously this is one of several major flaws in the current system that the upheld law fixes, so it's a good thing. I mean yeah we shouldn't make it beneficial for someone to stay out of the market as long as the market is private, but as long as it is I don't see any reason to change.
Also, what if you get a serious medical issue that isn't a car wreck? Are you OK with bankruptcy?
Yeah I'm taking the risk that it won't happen, but I'm not willing to spend even $1000 a year against the remote odds I get cancer. At my age it's not much of a risk. Which of course is part of what's so messed up with the current system and why Obamacare is needed if there is no single payer.
