One bill would give a tax break to uninsured Missourians paying a federal tax penalty under the Affordable Health Care Act
From Missouri Digital News: https://mdn.org
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
MDN Menu

MDN Home

Journalist's Creed

Print

MDN Help

 MDN.ORG Mo. Digital News Missouri Digital News MDN.ORG: Mo. Digital News MDN.ORG: Missouri Digital News
Lobbyist Money Help  

One bill would give a tax break to uninsured Missourians paying a federal tax penalty under the Affordable Health Care Act

Date: February 26, 2015
By: Krista Gmelich
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: 
The chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed a tax break for those fined for not having health insurance.
RunTime:  0:32
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Senator Kurt Schaefer introduced a bill that would give Missourians a state tax deduction for paying the penalty imposed by the Affordable Care Act.

Actuality:  SCHAE9.WAV
Run Time:  00:11
Description: If the federal government is not going to recognize the burden and the harm they're putting on hardworking Missourians and people who can't afford insurance then we're going to give them a break on their state taxes to compensate for that.

But Senate Democratic Leader Joseph Keaveny disagrees.

He says the bill would undermine the penalty's intention to stimulate people to obtain health insurance. 

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Krista Gmelich. 

 

Intro: 
One Missouri lawmaker says he wants to give a tax break to those fined for not having health insurance.
RunTime:  0:40
OutCue:  SOC

Wrap: Senator Kurt Schaefer's bill would give uninsured Missourians a state tax deduction.

He says the tax break would compensate for the federal penalty they must pay under the Affordable Health Care Act.  

Senate Democratic Leader Joseph Keaveny opposes the bill.

Actuality:  KEAV1.WAV
Run Time:  00:14
Description: Well I think it is an attempt to undermine the incentive for people in Missouri to get health insurance, and I think that's counterproductive, number one, to the intent of the Affordable Care Act.

Schaefer says he doesn't know why anyone would want to pile a penalty on people who are already in a difficult financial situation. 

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Krista Gmelich.