Amish Unaffected By New Health Law
Amish Unaffected By New Health Law
0 Comments | Sunday News; Lancaster, Pa., Mar 28, 2010 | by Jon Rutter
jrutter@lnpnews.com
Most Americans will have to carry health insurance under new federal health care law or risk paying tax penalties – unless they get a “religious conscience” pass.
That’s what the legislation says.
Lawmakers note that “religious conscience” refers to conservative Plain sect groups even though it doesn’t specifically name them.
Members of Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite churches have long eschewed commercial insurance in favor of community fundraisers and church-run health plans.
The landmark health care overhaul signed last week by President Obama promises to eventually cover 32 million uninsured Americans – and impose hundreds of dollars of fines a year on individuals who don’t buy insurance.
House Democrats capped a year-long political struggle Thursday when they passed a so-called “fix-it” measure containing minor revisions.
Currently, said Andrew Wimer, the spokesman for U.S. Rep. Joe Pitts, “It appears the Amish will be exempt on an individual basis.”
On the other hand, Wimer said, the reform language has been “extremely vague” about entities such as Amish-owned businesses.
Under the legislation, businesses that don’t offer health insurance as a benefit will have to pay penalties of $2,000 a year per full-time worker if they have more than 50 workers.
“There’s a lot that’s unclear at this point,” Wimer said. He added that the fog is expected to lift as the legislation is enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Internal Revenue Service.
The majority of the health insurance mandates don’t kick in until 2014.
“It could be 2012, it could be 2014 until we see how the details work out,” Wimer said.
The historic legislation has Amish people talking.
“Oh my yes” it does, exclaimed an Amish farmer from Paradise Township, who added that he’s suspicious of the measure. “We’ll wait and see.”
As of last week, Wimer said, no Amish constituents had contacted Pitts’ office with concerns.
Authorities on Plain sect culture say they doubt any big changes are in store for the more than 25,000 Amish children and adults in the area.
For one thing, said Donald B
buying individual health insurance
