Sen. Rubio To Introduce Bill To Delay ACA Penalty
WASHINGTON (CBSMiami/AP) – Pointing to major problems Americans had trying to sign up online for health insurance, Senator Marco Rubio said he'll introduce legislation to delay the penalty people will be assessed if they are not covered before the 2014 deadline.
Uninsured Americans have until about mid-February to sign up for coverage if they are to meet the law's requirement that they be insured by the end of March. If they don't, they will face a penalty.
The fee in 2014 is 1% of your yearly income or $95 per person for the year, whichever is higher. The fee increases every year. In 2016 it is 2.5% of income or $695 per person, whichever is higher.
In 2014 the fee for uninsured children is $47.50 per child. The most a family would have to pay in 2014 is $285.
The Florida Republican said people should not be punished for not buying the insurance when major technical problems have plagued the online sign-up process.
"It is clear the ObamaCare rollout has been a disaster that has further eroded the American people's confidence in the federal government's ability to keep basic promises," Rubio said Monday in a statement. "With all the problems and errors with the ObamaCare website, people should collect as much evidence as they can from their experiences in order to protect themselves from potential fraud, double billing, and penalties once the mandate is enforced."
On Monday, President Barack Obama acknowledged technical problems that he described as "kinks in the system."
The most expensive health insurance premiums for individuals in Florida are in the Florida Keys, and the cheapest premiums are for a bare-bones plan offered in Broward County, according to federal data.
The state's cheapest monthly premiums were for plans covering only catastrophic emergencies in Broward County. Those plans offered by insurer Coventry One in Broward County would cost a 27-year-old almost $86 a month and a 50-year-old would pay $146 monthly. The state's most expensive premiums, for a plans offered by Florida Blue, have the highest level of benefits, known as a platinum plan. It would cost a 27-year-old individual almost $460 a month and a 50-year-old Floridian $782 a month.
Roughly half of Florida's 3.5 million uninsured residents may be eligible for federal subsidies to help them purchase insurance, according to the liberal advocacy group Families USA. But the amount will vary widely depending on income, location, the plan, family size, age, and even tobacco use. Florida residents can choose from 102 plans, the second-highest of any state.
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