Will the government help people who cannot afford mandatory health insurance? – YES
General Reference (not clearly pro or con)
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Section 36B, "Refundable Credit for Coverage under a Qualified Health Plan," page 95, signed into law on Mar. 23, 2010, available at www.thomas.gov, states:
"(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an applicable taxpayer, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this subtitle for any taxable year an amount equal to the premium assistance credit amount of the taxpayer for the taxable year.”
Will the government help people who cannot afford mandatory health insurance? – YES
PRO (yes)
CON (no)
The White House Office of the Press Secretary stated in its June 28, 2012 press release "FACT SHEET: The Affordable Care Act: Secure Health Coverage for the Middle Class," available at www.whitehouse.gov:
"Tax Credits for Middle Class Families and Small Businesses: Millions of Americans will soon be eligible for tax credits to ensure that their health insurance is affordable. Under today's ruling, having health insurance is and will continue to be a choice. If you can't afford insurance or you're a small business that wants to provide affordable insurance to your employees, you'll get tax credits that make coverage affordable."
Consumer Reports stated in its June 2012 posting "Update on Health Care Reform," available at www.consumerreports.org:
"If you buy on an exchange as an individual, you may qualify for a subsidy in the form of an advance tax credit if your household income is between 100 percent and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. (The tax system already subsidizes people who have coverage through a job by excluding the cost of their health plan from income taxes.)"
[Editor’s Note: Based upon a neutral reading of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and bi-partisan third party analysis, this question seems to have a clear and obvious Pro (yes) answer, and ProCon.org has therefore presented the responses in a single column with no opposing perspective.]
