The IRS Shows the True Intentions of the “Affordable Care Act”

People who use subsidies to help pay for their Obamacare policies may get a nasty shock at tax time, when the Internal Revenue Service could hit them with a big demand to repay the money.

While it’s in the law, it’s still likely to make plenty of Obamacare subscribers angry at the IRS.

“If I were the IRS, I would be very concerned that I’m going to be viewed as the villain when people have to pay back money the government gave them for health insurance,” says Chris Condeluci, who served as Senate Finance Committee GOP tax counsel when Obamacare was being drafted.

According to the tax code, insurance buyers must be sure to alert insurance exchanges to life changes that affect their incomes through the year, reports Politico.

A new job, promotion, or anything that causes income to go up could result in a demand to return the tax credits, if the life change isn’t reported, according to the new rules.

Recipients who lose income could get a tax refund when next year’s taxes are calculated in 2015, but more likely, they’ll get a bill. For example, in California, 38 percent of people who get tax credits to pay for their healthcare are expected to get bills totaling more than $850 each if they don’t report income changes. [sources: Politico.com 12/28/13, Newsmax.com 12/28/13]

It just goes to show: Government laws aren’t even about income redistribution. They’re mostly about power.

For some in government, the power consists of the sick enjoyment of coercing other people. For whatever reasons, they feel impotent in their own lives. They attain the feeling of getting some of this lost control back by holding the threat of jail or gunpoint over peaceful citizens.

For others in government, the power is a false sense of self-importance. “I just did a good thing. I passed a law making sure that everyone has health insurance. This makes me a good person. My peers and friends agree. That makes it true.”

Or, in a different context, “I just did a good thing. I supported a political candidate who wants health care for all. That makes me a good person. Everyone on Facebook agrees with me. So it must be true.”

These statements sound childish and immature, but the sad truth is: This is what motivates many people to take the foolish positions they do. It’s a false sense of power, or an immature, unrealistic or otherwise untenable sense of one’s own virtue.

Real self-esteem and self-respect come not from the approval of others based on some fallacious standard. Real self-esteem and self-respect are rooted in love of life, and a deep-rooted conviction that’s one’s mind is capable of rational thought and intelligent action based on that thought. Coercive government programs are anathema to men and women of authentic self-esteem, because such coercion impedes the ability of independent human beings to survive and take care of themselves, first and foremost.

The more authentic self-esteem one has, the less one will fall prey to the desire for power over others based on the “conspicuous compassion” that so dominates our politics, as well as our culture more generally.

Obamacare is a particularly eloquent and ugly example of what I’m describing. The law was rationalized entirely on the premise that meaning to do well is the same as actually doing well.

Left unquestioned is exactly what’s “good” or “well” about inflicting such complex coercion on peaceful citizens?

No matter. Those victims are left to contend with the high cost of something for nothing as the continuing disaster of this “affordable care act” becomes clear to everyone.

If you don’t believe me, then just ask the IRS.

Be sure to “friend” Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Rehoboth Beach DE). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest.