Figuring out this ObamaCare thing

[DandT14 272]

and if you REALLY can't afford it, you're getting assistance in obtaining an insurance [i am not sure whether that would or would not be considered a "public burden"].

This is the part I've been wondering about. I pay a lot of money for my family's insurance, definitely more than 10% of my annual income. I'm pretty sure we'll be eligible for the assistance in paying for it (assuming nothing changes with regards to the cost before then.) So, since my husband is included on my healthcare plan, he'll be receiving that assistance too. Will it count as a "means-tested benefit" for immigration purposes?

[litlmina 40]

The health insurance MUST be thought of as something as necessary as food, housing, car insurance and other mandatory expenses. I bet when driving you're not arguing with a cop giving you a ticket for driving with no insurance: "But I just can't afford car insurance!"

Really? Please stop attacking the OP for trying to be informed. Clearly this is not a person who is content to be ignorant about their responsibilities.

If you can't afford car insurance, you just don't drive a car. That's not a mandatory expense. It's not like you can stop living if you can't afford health insurance.

And if you can't afford food or housing, there are homeless shelters and food banks (among other options) - most of them are CHARITIES, and I don't see anyone calling those people parasites. That's extremely rude.

[DandT14 272]

Really? Please stop attacking the OP for trying to be informed. Clearly this is not a person who is content to be ignorant about their responsibilities.

If you can't afford car insurance, you just don't drive a car. That's not a mandatory expense. It's not like you can stop living if you can't afford health insurance.

And if you can't afford food or housing, there are homeless shelters and food banks (among other options) - most of them are CHARITIES, and I don't see anyone calling those people parasites. That's extremely rude.

While I agree he was a little harsh, I think the point he was trying to make is that people often see health insurance as optional, and place a lower importance on it than other expenses. And, he's right. I know several people who don't carry insurance, when they get sick they go to the ER and just don't pay the bill, but they wouldn't consider going without car insurance, cell phones, or cable television.

I'm not accusing the OP of this at all. I'm just saying, there are plenty of those people out there.

[Stuart and Thea 95]

Yes, but I'm not one of them, I go without insurance because I'm unemployed and my husband can't afford it for us on his salary, we already go without a phone, cable etc, so can't cut back there, though we are trying to save. We do have car insurance, but as the car is from 1986 and we only paid 400$ for it, it isn't very expensive. Regardless of what SOME people do, I asked people to keep their politics out of this discussion, there is already a place for it, but apparently personal attacks are allowed everywhere.

I had intended to use people in this group for information to be better informed, and to see if there are any consequences to our immigration status, such as ROC, but seeing as how this seems to not be a place where people want to help, I'm going to ask the mods to close the thread and I'll look for another immigration site that might be interested in the discussion.

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

** closed per OP request ***