A new report from the Congressional Budget Office finds that the number of those who don’t have to pay fines to opt out of Obamacare — the exempted class — is going to hit 25 million by 2016.
The Wall Street Journal said now, only 4 million are going to pay the opt-out fine — down from 6 million.
The CBO report, which was conducted using analysis from the Joint Committee on Taxation, also finds that about 30 million Americans are currently without health insurance — a revelation that sparks widespread concerns that premiums for the elderly or unhealthy are going to rise, Fox News reported.
Obamacare was supposed to affix a fine of $95 per adult, or 1 percent of household income, for those who didn’t buy insurance. That fine is going to rise to $685 per adult, or 2.5 percent of family income, by 2016, capping out per household at $2,085.
Some were exempted from these fines, including illegal immigrants. But the White House has been steadily adding exemptions since Obamacare’s passage, and now even those who profess hardships like domestic violence or property damage due to fire or flood can opt-out, Fox News reported.
Some Republicans are saying the growing numbers of exemptions only proves their point about Obamacare — that it will crumble under the weight of its own financial burdens and that it should be completely scrapped, Fox News reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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