Health Insurance Penalty Starts Now!

Time to be thinking about health insurance

Health InsuranceThe health care legislation commonly known as Obamacare has many provisions that are being implemented over a number of years. As we start 2014, those that currently have no health insurance could be facing a tax penalty.

Beginning in January, 2014, everyone will be required to have health insurance or face a potential penalty. The initial penalty will be $95 per individual, $285 per family or 1% of your income whichever is greater. There is also a potential penalty assessed on employers who fail to offer employees health care insurance.

What is not known, is whether there will be some penalty grace period due to all the sign up problems with the government’s web site. If you are uninsured, your best defense is to review your health insurance options and register for an appropriate health insurance policy as soon as possible.

Health Insurance Details

Detail 1 Every state is required to have an insurance exchange. This exchange is a web site where everyone can view health insurance options. Unfortunately, this is the area of Obamacare that has seen a lot of negative press due to system problems.
Detail 2 No pre-existing condition limitation. You are no longer to be refused insurance because of a pre-existing condition or be charged an incremental premium based on health or gender.
Detail 3 Buy or pay the penalty? Hopefully, not many will be faced with this dilemma. Part of the health insurance bill is the requirement for most small businesses to offer a qualified plan or face a penalty billed to their business.
Detail 4 Will I be penalized? There are exceptions to the penalty if you have to spend more than 8% of your household income on the cheapest health care insurance premiums. There are also subsidies if you cannot afford health care insurance. This is in the form of a health insurance premium tax credit if your household income is between 100 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

If you do not have health insurance start looking now. With proper planning you should be able to avoid the unpleasant task of facing a tax penalty at the end of 2014.

As always, should you have any questions or concerns regarding your situation please feel free to call.