In some cases, people who don’t owe a fine because they have Medicaid or some other form of health insurance have been told they need to pay anyway, because supposedly they don’t have the right kind of coverage.
In other cases, immigrants who are not bound by the law’s coverage requirements are being told they must pay a fine.
Young immigrants protected from deportation by the Obama administration fall into a legal gray area that may be prime territory for exploitation.
While they do have authorization to work and therefore pay taxes, they are not considered “lawfully present” for purposes of the health care law. They are not entitled to coverage under the law, and the mandate to get coverage does not apply to them.
The health care law uses the income tax system to subsidize coverage and also to collect fines from people who remain uninsured. This is the first tax-filing season that the connections between health insurance and income taxes are becoming visible to average consumers. Two of the most complicated areas for consumers—taxes and health care—are now intertwined.
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