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Tax Time = Time to Opt-Out of Obamacare
Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom Says One of 9 Exemptions Will Protect Americans from Tax Penalties
PAUL, Minn.—As we begin the month of April, many Americans begrudgingly work to finish preparing their tax returns for the 2017 year. For many, because Obamacare penalties are not zeroed out until 2019, there’s special attention directed towards the Affordable Care Act and the tax penalties associated with going uninsured.
But one organization reminds Americans there are many ways an individual can opt-out of Obamacare’s individual mandate and legally avoid paying any tax penalty. Shockingly, many people are unaware of the opt-out options.
Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF, www.cchfreedom.org), a Minnesota-based national organization dedicated to preserving patient-centered health care and protecting patient and privacy rights, says Americans should apply for an exemption using their tax return. There are 9 primary exemptions, including14 hardship waivers, all of which will protect them from the tax penalty and won’t force them into buying coverage they don’t want and can’t afford.
“The federal government says individuals who didn’t apply for an exemption before the start of 2017 should apply for it when they file their tax return in 2018,” said CCHF president and co-founder Twila Brase. “There are nine primary exemptions and 14 hardship exemptions. Americans should take advantage of these options to avoid being penalized. For example, there are exemptions for lack of affordability and health sharing. There’s an exemption for ‘another hardship’ that made it difficult to obtain coverage. There’s really no reason for anyone to pay the penalty for these next two years.”
Other hardship waiver exemptions include:
- You had medical expenses you couldn’t pay that resulted in substantial debt.
- You experienced the death of a family member
- You experienced another hardship in obtaining insurance.
- You experienced unexpected increases in necessary expenses due to caring for an ill, disabled or aging family member.
- You received a shut-off notice from a utility company
For a list of Obamacare’s nine primary exemptions and a link to the 14 hardship exemptions, visit CCHF’s web site.
For more information about CCHF, visit www.cchfreedom.org, its Facebook page or its Twitter feed @CCHFreedom. Also view the media page for CCHF here. For more CCHF reports on health privacy and surveillance, visit the CCHF privacy page. For more about CCHF’s initiative to protect newborn DNA, visit http://www.itsmydna.org.
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