Quoted from Shadow

Washington Secrets
Obamacare exempts millions--prisoners, illegals, welfare recipients
October 31, 2012 | 11:50 am
Paul Bedard
The Washington Examiner
Mock Obamacare tax form from critic Americans for Tax Reform.

In just 14 months, Americans will be required to prove that they have federally "qualified" health insurance or face an Obamacare tax of $695 to $2,085. That is unless you are in prison, below the poverty line, or are an undocumented immigrant, according to the anti-tax group Americans for Tax Reform.

When added together, those three groups total up to one-sixth of the nation's population of 314 million: 218,929 are in federal prisons, 12 million are illegals and 42 million are below the poverty line and eligible for welfare, though some fit into all three categories, according to federal reports.

ATR highlighted the groups eligible from the mandate to get health insurance in a mock Internal Revenue Service form they developed to show the extra paperwork Americans will be required to fill out once the full Obamacare law kicks in, January 2014. It is based on testimony from the IRS given in September that said, "taxpayers will file their tax returns reporting their health insurance coverage, and/or making a payment."

Based on other IRS requirements, ATR said that Americans will have to show that they have health insurance "qualified" by the Department of Health and Human Services. They will also have to disclose if they were covered by a qualifying plan during the year and for how long. And they could be subject to penalties and interest on unpaid Obamacare taxes for periods they were not covered.

Their mock form includes groups qualifying for exemptions from the Obamacare health insurance mandate and tax. "Classes of individuals who are exempt from the mandate include but are not limited to: those serving sentences in the federal penitentiary system; those persons not legally able to work in the U.S.; welfare recipients (since they are below the poverty line); and those qualifying for an HHS-granted religious exemption," said ATR, citing section 1501 of the Affordable Care Act that also exempts many others, including native Americans.

Quoted from Libertarian4life

Really?

You pissed because we can't penalize prisoners and illegals for not having private health care?

Quoted from CICERO

I thought the whole purpose of Obamacare was to get everybody that uses the medical system to pay into it?  That was the crux of the argument.  If I denounce my citizenship and are now "illegal" I can receive "free" medical care?

Quoted from Shadow

The Constitution says that all people will be treated equally, by exempting select groups like illegal immigrants, who by the way, shouldn't be getting our taxpayer funded health-care anyway. Why not just invite anyone who wants free health-care to cross our borders illegally and finish bankrupting our country. I see more lawsuits in Obamacare's future.

Quoted from Shadow

Why should I have to pay for my health-care or pay a penalty and a working illegal immigrant who gets the same health-care doesn't have to pay the penalty.

Quoted from Libertarian4life

No, but if you go to prison you can.

The exemption isn't coverage.

It's exemption from the penalty.

You can't penalize people who can't afford it.

Quoted from Box A Rox

Obamacare doesn't "cover" illegal immigrants. There are no coverage benefits for which
undocumented people could be eligible, such as Medicaid or tax credits.

Quoted Text

Meaningful Use & EHR Medicare/Medicaid Incentive Criteria & Requirements

Meaningful Use & EHR Medicare/Medicaid Incentive Criteria & Requirements

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide reimbursement incentives for eligible professionals who are successful in becoming “meaningful users” of certified electronic health record (EHR) technology. The law includes the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or the "HITECH Act," which established programs under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS). On July 13, 2010, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued its final rule on the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs under Medicare and Medicaid. The Final Rule established the criteria and reporting requirements which eligible professionals follow to prove meaningful use of their adopted Electronic Health Record technology.

CMS Final Rule Snapshot

A set of specific requirements to be considered “certified” electronic health record (EHR) technology
A series of criteria to which healthcare providers must adhere to in order to qualify as meaningful users of a certified EHR and receive incentive payments.
Establish a series of quality measures on which providers must report in order to receive the incentive payments
Meaningful Use Objectives: Use of Certified EHR Technology

Improve quality, safety & efficiency
Reduce health disparities
Engage patients & families in their health care
Improve care coordination
Improve population & public health
Maintain privacy & security across all areas
The Office of the National Coordinator

Under the HITECH Act, CMS worked closely with the Office of the National Coordinator for HealthInformation Technology (ONC). ONC is the principal Federal entity charged with developing support for the adoption of HIT and the promotion of nationwide health information exchange to improve health care. In an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, former National HIT coordinator Dr. David Blumenthal and principal deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Marilyn Tavenner review the programs and provide a detailed overview of the “basic functions that enable EHRs to support improved healthcare.”

Know the Incentive Facts: The CMS Final Rule

On July 13, 2010, CMS and ONC released companion sets of regulations for the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentives Program. One defines the minimum requirements that providers must meet through their use of certified EHR technology in order to qualify for the payments. The other outlines criteria for the certification of EHR technology.

To take advantage of these incentives you must be able to demonstrate “Meaningful Use” of a certified EHR. Meaningful includes, for example, use of:
ePrescribing, an accurate & secure way to transmit & manage the patient prescription process
Interoperability, the ability to share clinical data with other providers
Reporting on specified clinical quality measures
By focusing on the effective use of EHRs, the HITECH Act makes clear that the adoption of Electronic Health Records is not a goal in itself. It is the use of EHRs to achieve health and efficiency goals that matters. HITECH’s incentives and assistance programs seek to improve the health of Americans and the performance of their health care system through “meaningful use” of EHRs to achieve five health care goals.

Improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of care while reducing disparities
Engage patients and families in their care
Promote public and population health
Improve care coordination
Promote the privacy and security of EHRs
To the best of our knowledge, this information is accurate as of this writing. As more information becomes available from HHS and other agencies, this page will be updated. Please check the HHS site regularly.