Thanks to a bill passed by Gov. Mitt Romney in 2006, any Massachusetts residents without health insurance by midnight tonight will lose their personal tax exemption of $219.
But wait, there’s more!
When the new year begins Tuesday, most residents who remain uninsured will face monthly fines that could total as much as $912 for individuals and $1,824 for couples by the end of 2008, according to penalty guidelines unveiled by the Department of Revenue on Monday.
The penalties are based on the cost of insurance plans available and are due as part of the 2009 tax return. According to lawmakers, only adults “deemed able to afford health insurance by the Health Insurance Connector Authority” will be fined.
The good news is that uninsured Massachusetts residents probably won’t need colonoscopies since the government will have already done a rather thorough job while it was up there, anyway.
Monday, December 31st, 2007, 4:07 pm | 
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December 31, 2007 at 6:20 pm
What’s the average cost for decent insurance these days? Here in Communist Canada, we pay sort of invisibly via taxes.
December 31, 2007 at 6:35 pm
I couldn’t really tell you since ours is via VH’s military benefits. As retirees we get ours free.
December 31, 2007 at 9:26 pm
This is really just another tax. In any case, paying the “fine” is cheaper than paying insurance.
January 1, 2008 at 10:18 am
Peter: That would depend on what the health insurance costs, wouldn’t it? Also, I can’t imagine the fine brings any benefit, like hospitalization.
miriam’s last blog post..Happy New Year
January 1, 2008 at 10:45 am
Plus, let’s face it, even in the form of a fine it’s essentially the government forcing people to get insurance.