[Source: The Health and Life Sciences Law Daily, August 1, 2007]
Modern Healthcare (8/1, Lubeli) reports, "Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) has introduced legislation that would require all Americans to enroll in a healthcare insurance plan." Americans lacking coverage "would have to enroll in a 'qualified' plan such as Medicare, Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), veterans' healthcare, federal health employee benefits or other state-approved package." Cardin, who is on the Senate Budget Committee, noted, "Today, more than 46 million Americans, including 9 million children, have no healthcare coverage. We all pay the price with either higher premium costs or more expensive medical bills. ... This legislation provides a simple, straight-forward solution that will ensure that all Americans have health insurance." For "individuals below 400% of the federal poverty level, the bill would offer three low-cost coverage options." As for penalties, those "who failed to enroll for any coverage for a continuous period greater than 60 days would be taxed, and the funds collected by this tax would then be used to automatically enroll them in a state-approved plan, according to a summary of the bill."
[S. 1899: A Bill to Require Every American to Have Health Insurance Coverage]
