All Forum Posts by: Kama Ward

You will not be sent a bill because you didn't get health ins.

*warning boring gobbledygook*:

For the purposes of the law, “individuals who can afford health-care insurance” is defined as people for whom the minimum policy will not cost more than 8 percent of their monthly income, and who make more than the poverty line.

In terms of logistics, the Treasury Department handles the mandate. The penalty gets assessed as a federal tax liability, on the income tax returns that Americans already file yearly. Starting in 2014, federal tax returns will include a new form where Americans will detail their source of health insurance. If they don’t carry coverage—and fall within the mandate— then they’ll get hit with the penalty.
What happens if you don’t buy insurance and you don’t pay the penalty? Well, not much. The law specifically says that no criminal action or liens can be imposed on people who don’t pay the fine.

Who is exempt: About 24 million Americans would be exempt from the requirement to carry insurance, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis. That includes those who can’t afford insurance, as well as members of certain religious groups, Native American tribes, undocumented immigrants (who aren’t eligible for subsidies under the law), those in jail and people whose incomes are so low that they don’t have to file taxes (currently $9,500 for individuals and $19,000 for married couples).

*gobbledygook over*

It becomes clear that this is another way that the feds use the tax code to attempt to influence you to do something (buy ins). Just like they want people to buy homes.

By the way,
Under this law: the best thing for many people would be to not buy ins. until they need it. The penalty will be phased-in according to the following schedule: $95 in 2014, $325 in 2015, and $695 in 2016 for the flat fee or 1.0% of taxable income in 2014,
2.0% of taxable income in 2015, and 2.5% of taxable income in 2016.

Since you can't be turned down for pre-existing conditions, this is a seriously good deal.

Alan Mackenthun said "We need free market reforms like those that Romney and many Republicans have proposed."

This health care law IS what Romney and many Republicans have proposed! Romney implemented it! Jim Demint said we should do this for the whole country in 2007! Heritage thought of it, tons of republicans have endorsed it, and the current Ryan budget carries the principle to medicare and social security. It's when the left gave up on something stronger and passed it that Republicans turned against "Obamacare".

Karen M. said something along the lines "we have never been taxed for not doing anything". If you don't have babies and don't get a mortgage- you will be paying the IRS more money. The Government attempts to influence our behavior to do/not do all kinds of things through the tax code.

Taxpayers and premium payers are already paying for free riders. EMTALA is a federal law passed in '86 that guarantees care in emergency rooms (same law that got COBRA started).

I believe it was Nathan Emmert who said we should be able to not pay and bear the consequences- I admire that intellectual honesty.
But if we changed the law back... The first viral video of a cute white 8 yr old girl bleeding and dying on the steps of a hospital that refused care would cause a firestorm and cry of "something must be done!"

I'd keep it a light color because the basement is dark enough as it is. If I use it, I'll give a report and post pics.

Hey Jon K. - We live in a rainy and hilly area, so lots of water problems. I'd use vinyl tile for above grade (some are staring to look good these days). Almost every basement floor here has mold/cupping/rippling unless it is cement or tile. I just know that vinyl would be doing something funny in a year or less- even with proper barriers etc. Most days we have high humidity, but our temps usually stay low(80day-60night), so many people don't use AC even if they have it.

I'm hoping the ceramic wood look will be cheap enough and look warmer and make it worth it. The cheapest I have seen is 1.98sqft, but I haven't done a thorough search yet. Also, I'm not sure if laying the tile is tough since it is long and skinny. Whew, I hate bad looking tile jobs!

I'm a health care policy nerd, having been studying it since '07 when I realized that was the one factor that I couldn't nail down in order for my husband to retire early. We have a child with a genetic disorder, so going without insurance would be foolish for us.

My quick summary of it would be: it's a large complex law with far reaching and unknown consequences. It is a step in the right direction though, a big messy expensive step. One of the problems with health care is so many of the costs are 'off the books' (employer health plans, charity care). This puts most of the costs on the table for everyone to see. It's not pretty.

So for those who worry that this may be very expensive, you are right. But it's like getting someone to sit down and look at all their debt and bills for the first time...

This type of health insurance reform was originally proposed by the Heritage foundation in the 80's. Bob Dole introduced it in '93 against Clinton's plan. Gingrich endorsed it, DeMint endorsed it in 2007. At least 10 Republican senators were cosponsors of a bill with this same basic structure- individual mandate- in 2009- at the same time they voted against Obama's bill. Right now Ryan's budget includes turning medicare and social security into private individual products with penalties for not participating. This reform plan was thought of by republicans and passed by democrats who had given up on a more liberal agenda (single payer or public option).

So for those of you who think it is a step on the road to socialism, I'd say you're letting you political views cloud your outlook. Here's a fun recording of Ronald Reagan in '61 saying if we pass Medicare it will turn us into a Socialist Dictatorship:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bejdhs3jGyw

This plan (if implemented- depends on the election) will benefit my family. If we knew we could get health ins., my husband would most likely leave his job and use his valuable skills (hardware design for defense industry) to create more jobs! So we would be even better job creators! My daughter will be able to remain insured even after she leaves our plan. She will be able to be a productive member of society instead of having, at any moment, to quit her job and spend down to less than 1K assets to qualify for medicaid.

I am cautiously for this plan , but know we have a long way to go to make health care work in our society. There's lots more to say, like about physicians and healthcare delivery reform, but this post is already so long!

Thanks Steve! I read that, I was hoping for some real world reports on it. I'm considering it for a basement, it's still a bit higher than regular tile. Trying to decide if it's worth it.

Has anyone used it? How much did it cost? Did it look good or cheap like laminate?

In deed? Are there two Knights in the deed? I'll take it!

Thanks Nathan Emmert. Did not know it was that interesting! hehe.

I strongly agree with another poster- wait until you are here to do the renovation! There is just too much to go wrong- even if you agree on everything ahead of time.

I would say wait until you get here to buy, but it seems like you might already be buying this place? Who knows if you even ever get back to the US? Example: your girlfriend gets pregnant and she wants to stay near family. Or a great job turns up in Berlin to teach Korean at a business school. I know people who have had similar things happen. You can find decent investments that are much less location dependent.

Assuming you have made your mind up to buy, still wait to do the renovation (other than a safety issue). Then get back here and dive in. Maybe you could visit some generous rehabbers on this forum and see their work before you start. It certainly would save you more money and worry than visiting them and taking them to dinner!

I'm all for you doing some work yourself (that doesn't call for permits). That way you really 'get it' if you move forward with re investing in the future.

Ok here's what you asked originally: I looked at the picture- it would take me min 30K for a new kit and bath that look like that (ikea), all interior surfaces fixed up, and misc electrical and systems changes. Could easily be double if hvac, roof, structural changes, rot, water and sewer line, paint outside, if locality required a c.o. Who knows, too many variables. I do only a bit of the work myself. If I did every bit of non permitted work myself it would take 5 times as long (costing me money), it would not be as nice, and I would save only 5k.