What US Health Care Reform could mean to US Citizens living in the DR

[windeguy]

If I am exempt because I am out of the country for 330 days a year, that works for me

mountainannie, that was a good find. Here is the wording that would apply to me from the link at

http://knifetricks.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-legally-avoid-pelosi-care-become.html:

Most importantly to Knife Tricks, expats are exempt. Or, to be precise, expats ? defined as U.S. citizens who are outside the country for at least 330 days in a 12-month period -- are "treated for purposes of this section as covered by acceptable coverage during such taxable year." Proposed I.R.C. section 59B(c)(3). A similar exemption applies to people who reside in U.S. territories like Guam or American Samoa. Proposed I.R.C. section 59B(c)(4).

I have not yet actually found a working link to the I.R.C. section that applies so I can read it myself.

 

[windeguy]

Does this mean there's going to be new Republican Religious sects blooming all over America. How will this new bill affect people that are receiving government pensions, such as SS.

I don't think this will mean there will be additional Republican Religious sects as scary as that is.

As I understand it, people that already qualify for medicare will be covered under medicare. You would have to return to the US for treatment, but you would also if you were covered under other qualifying plans.

 

[Bob K]

All this worry may be a bit premature as it appears the bill in its present form has an ice cubes chance in He** of passing the Senate. It think the quote from Liberman was "it is dead on arrival"

So who know if there will be a bill to sign at all. Remember Hillary was going to reform health care a decade or more ago and it did so fine then.

Bob K

 

[bienamor]

I don't think this will mean there will be additional Republican Religious sects as scary as that is.

As I understand it, people that already qualify for Medicare will be covered under Medicare. You would have to return to the US for treatment, but you would also if you were covered under other qualifying plans.

These are some great questions. In my case I qualify for Medicare this month, so am good if in the USA. My company insurance now acts as a supplement for the other 20% that Medicare does not pay.
It also has a provision for emergency care while outside the USA, no regular checkups which is ok as emergency's are covered. Question now is will this change with the new health care bill due to the government requirements or as it might qualify as a Cadillac plan do I get charged extra? Or might the company drop the international part. If so I am screwed as I cannot qualify for international travel insurance due to a previous heart attack. I am fine as long as nobody screws with the company retiree coverage.

Any body else on here with the same problem? This might also affect those expiates here working for a US company with international benefits, as alot of them are not here for 330 day continuous, they travel back and forth for training, meetings, etc.

 

[tflea]

Let's not put the cart before the horse, as BobK mentions. If the baby is actually born then maybe we'll know it's gender and disposition. Until then, there is a lot of pregnant conjecture.

 

[bienamor]

Let's not put the cart before the horse, as BobK mentions. If the baby is actually born then maybe we'll know it's gender and disposition. Until then, there is a lot of pregnant conjecture.

I think the baby is definitely on the way, but it may be a hermaphrodite by the time the merger between the house and whatever the senate finally winds up with early next year, and then there will be the various amendments shoved in prior to the signing, hum rymes with the movie the shining

 

[windeguy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/health/policy/09healthcare.html?th&emc=th

Health Bill Faces Senate Heat - WSJ.com

The two above links describe the current situation and the difficulties ahead in the health care bill passing through the Senate. The bill just barely passed the House and it will be more difficult to pass something through the Senate.

 

[El Rey de Mangu]

What's next? Mandatory 401K buy-ins? Imagine you sign up, then you need a fancy operation, but the doc won't take your one-off govt. health plan, because the govt. doesn't pay it's own bills?

Are the big providers like Empire going to be forced to offer these "dumbed down" plans? They'll end up charging back to the corporate and other higher-end plan owners by skyrocketing their premiums. This is going to be an administrative nightmare. Where do I sign up for project implementation manager??

hmmmm....

 

[windeguy]

House healthcare bill has nowhere to go in Senate - Nation - MiamiHerald.com

Looks like the Senate is not going to move on Pelosi Care.

 

[cobraboy]

House healthcare bill has nowhere to go in Senate - Nation - MiamiHerald.com

Looks like the Senate is not going to move on Pelosi Care.

Do not be surprised if the reconciliation nukuler option is used by Reid.

 

[bienamor]

At this point I don't think he is sure he has the 50, with his gov. option. He may have to drop that which will make the merge all the more difficult

 

[Chirimoya]

I can see that these last few posts, though devoid of DR content, refer to a developing situation - but please try to remain neutral on the issue.

 

[Tortuga]

There are currently two versions of the health care bill - a House version and a Senate version. The House version has already been approved, the Senate version has not yet been voted on. If the Senate version is approved, a committee of Congressmen and Senators meets to iron out the differences between the two versions. So nothing is a done deal yet, but with that as background:

The House version of the bill exempts expatriate citizens from any penalty for not having US-based health insurance.

The Senate version of the bill does not exempt expatriates from the penalty. My son faxed me an article from today's edition of his local newspaper (he's an expat but not in the Rep. Dom.). The article says that U.S. expatriates would be required to pay a penalty if they don't have U.S.-based health coverage. This penalty could go as high as 1900 dollars (I'm guessing this is income-dependent). The article also says the penalty wouldn't go into effect until 2013.

Like a a previous poster, I think expatriates are a very weak and small constituency, and are of relatively little importance to Congress and the Senate.

So how many of you all are ready to leave paradise and return to the bosom of Liberty to avoid a heath-reform penalty tax?

 

[mountainannie]

go underground

So how many of you all are ready to leave paradise and return to the bosom of Liberty to avoid a heath-reform penalty tax?

i suspect that most of us will " go rouge" if we have not already!! And face the music if and when we return to the US

The risk that they run with this one is that people like me, who do file and pay Federal income tax, may stop.

So now the question is..

If you stop filing your income tax forms, can they take away your passports?

 

[windeguy]

If you stop filing your returns and if the IRS decides to come after you, you would face whatever laws they have which could result in penalties, fines and prison time for failure to pay taxes. You will not lose your citizenship and I do not believe that they can stop you from having and renewing a US passport. However, if you try to renew a passport I suspect they could arrest you if you step on the grounds of the US Consulate to pick up the passport since that is considered to be US territory.


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Losing your citizenship

For a natural-born citizen, losing your citizenship is actually quite difficult. The law prohibits the taking of your citizenship against your will, but there are certain actions a citizen can take which are assumed to be a free-will decision that constitutes a voluntary renunciation of the citizenship.

Moving to another country for an extended period of time does not constitute an act that presumes renunciation. Neither does taking a routine-level job with a foreign government. This stand is quite different from U.S. policy of the past, where even being naturalized in another nation could be seen as renunciation. The sections of the law that pertained to losing ones nationality for many of these cases was found at 8 USC 1482 and related sections.

The U.S. Code does, however, see some acts as creating the possibility of a loss of nationality. When you lose your U.S. nationality, you are no longer under the protection or jurisdiction of the United States. When the United States considers you to no longer be of U.S. nationality, it in effect considers you to no longer be a citizen. Note that these are things you can do that may force you to lose your citizenship. The law also says that these acts must be voluntary and with the intent of losing U.S. citizenship. The ways to lose citizenship are detailed in 8 USC 1481:

* Becoming naturalized in another country
* Swearing an oath of allegiance to another country
* Serving in the armed forces of a nation at war with the U.S., or if you are an officer in that force
* Working for the government of another nation if doing so requires that you become naturalized or that you swear an oath of allegiance
* Formally renouncing citizenship at a U.S. consular office
* Formally renouncing citizenship to the U.S. Attorney General
* By being convicted of committing treason

The above is from the following web site:
Constitutional Topic: Citizenship - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net


Losing US Citizenship for a Naturalized Citizen

newcitizen.us -- Losing US Citizenship

 

[windeguy]

At this point, I suspect the Senate is going to kill the health care reform effort. Just my guess, not based upon anything solid, but I expect it will just fade away.

If it does go through and I have to pay a penalty for not signing up, so be it. If I do need something major done I would enter the US, sign up for a plan, and they could not refuse me.

 

[mountainannie]

Thanks!

Great info, Windeguy.

thanks. Guess I will have to go back to running a losing business....

Do they let you run a losing business offshore? I mean if you still are using funds that come from the US? Do you have to file some sort of DBA in the States?

I am great at running losing businesses.

 

[mountainannie]

pay the penalites

At this point, I suspect the Senate is going to kill the health care reform effort. Just my guess, not based upon anything solid, but I expect it will just fade away.

If it does go through and I have to pay a penalty for not signing up, so be it. If I do need something major done I would enter the US, sign up for a plan, and they could not refuse me.

I suspect that you would have to pay all the penalties for all the years that you did not sign up before they let you sign up...

the US is great at that,.. I mean the paying penalties and interest stuff...

 

[mountainannie]

just for the record

I really doubt that they are going to issue an international arrest warrant for the chump change that I would owe...

I mean, really...

But, hey, they still arrest pot dealers, no?

So there is no telling what Uncle Sam will do.

Just need to know the law.

Have sent out queries. Will report back.

 

[cobraboy]

I'd just wait until something serious happens to you and sign up then. Even with a couple of years worth of fines, it's still be cheaper...

I suspect the more folks find out what's in those 2074 pages, the more the Senate will just sit on it. Reid won't push until he KNOWS he has the 60 votes and he's a looooong way from them. There are a few Democrats up for reelection that will NOT want that albatross around their neck.