I don’t know about you but I’ve been enjoying watching
all of the reactions to yesterday’s decision.
In addition to the chuckle I got when a few major news outlets got it
wrong, I’ve been smirking about opponents’ claims that the law places a
“massive tax” on all Americans.
Let’s just put things in perspective here: Only a tiny
fraction of people will be impacted by the individual responsibility provisions
– those who can afford coverage but choose not to buy it.
What is that “tiny fraction” you ask? Researchers at the Urban Institute told us earlier this year that only TWO out of one hundred would be impacted (more here on this from the Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities). And again: These
are people who can afford coverage but choose not to buy it.
What IS massive?
The millions of Americans who now have peace of mind that they will have
access to secure health coverage even when they get sick, change jobs, ore face
challenging health conditions. They can
rest assured that getting the health treatment they need won’t bankrupt their
families.