Families who fail to get health insurance could be fined up to $3,800 under a health care reform plan proposed by a top Senate negotiator.

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is leading talks among the "Gang of Six" senators to hammer out a bipartisan compromise, offered what he described on Tuesday as a "framework" and not a "final product."

But the detailed proposal comes just days ahead of a self-imposed Sept. 15 deadline for such a deal. Baucus is pushing his committee members hard to hammer out a bill, and those details come as strong suggestions.

The framework, a copy of which was obtained by FOX News, includes what amounts to a no-choice option. It would make health insurance mandatory, like auto insurance.

The plan would provide tax credits to help small employers and help cover the cost for households making up to three times the federal poverty level. That's about $66,000 for a family of four, and $32,000 for an individual.

Those who still don't sign up would face hefty fines, starting at $750 a year for individuals and $1,500 for families -- for those making up to three times the poverty level.

For those who make more than that, the penalty on individuals would jump to $950 and the penalty on families would jump to $3,800.

There would be a few exemptions, including for Native Americans and for those making incomes below the federal poverty level.

The plan does not include a government-run health insurance plan to soften the blow of the coverage mandate.

Instead, Baucus opts for a system of non-profit cooperatives, as part of a broader health insurance exchange.

As a way to pay for the package, estimated to cost under $900 billion over 10 years, Baucus is proposing a 35 percent excise tax on insurance companies for high-cost plans -- defined as those above $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for family plans.

The Senate Finance Committee is meeting Tuesday, as President Obama prepares to deliver a high-stakes speech to both chambers of Congress Wednesday night in a bid to invigorate the push for reform.

Four committees have already passed their bills; Baucus' panel is the only one yet to act. His committee's bill is also the only one that could be considered bipartisan.

Baucus hits major elements in his plan that other top Democrats say are important. His plan would require health insurance plans to guarantee coverage and would prohibit them from excluding coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

Premiums would be allowed to vary based only on tobacco use, age and size of family.

But the fines pose a dilemma for Obama. As a candidate, the president campaigned hard against making health insurance a requirement, saying it's too expensive to mandate. White House officials have since backed away somewhat from that stance, but there's no indication that Obama would support fines.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bored,I almost past over this topic. Could you put something in the heading that shows it's about insurance fines?

Those rich, Liberal, Obamanators here will defend the fines.
Guess those who can't afford the fine or insurance will be taken cae of in the penal system.

seems fair to me

people don't want to pay for insurance but they want to be able to pop in to the emergency room whenever they have a sniffle

Does that mean they will fine or jail the Illegal who goes to the ER also?

nahhh the fine is just gonna be a tax credit that they don't get to collect and even then it doesn't kick in until they are making three times the poverty level

That is an easy fix, that is not done anymore though most places it could be done. Say you go to the emergency room because you have a cold, without calling your doctors office first to get the referral when they can not take you in as a walk in. You know what is SUPPOSED to happen? The insurance group is supposed to deny your coverage for that visit, thus encouraging people not to fill the emergency rooms for non-emergency reasons.

IMO THAT is only reasonable and fair. You have a family doctor for a reason, and if you can not see that family doctor, you should still call them first and have them refer you to the er, instead of going straight there.

If people don't want insurance they shouldn't be forced into having it. This is a tactic to gain support for the Govt. run plan, gonna try and scare people into it. I'm pretty sure this will go over like a fart in church. If obama wants to CHANGE something, he needs to CHANGE how much companies charge for medical equipment and how much hospitals charge for band-aids and asprin.

"That is an easy fix, that is not done anymore though most places it could be done. Say you go to the emergency room because you have a cold, without calling your doctors office first to get the referral when they can not take you in as a walk in. You know what is SUPPOSED to happen? The insurance group is supposed to deny your coverage for that visit, thus encouraging people not to fill the emergency rooms for non-emergency reasons.

IMO THAT is only reasonable and fair. You have a family doctor for a reason, and if you can not see that family doctor, you should still call them first and have them refer you to the er, instead of going straight there."



Good point Daniel!

you're assumming the people in the emergency room have insurance and are just using it for convenience

that isn't the case

the emergency rooms are choked up with people who have no insurance and cant get in to see a primary care doctor. so they use the emergency room because by law they can't be turned away

and from what I've seen of this evil plan its gonna provide alternate govt insurance and require everyone to have some kind of insurance or they lose the tax credits

there is already a precedent

what happens if you get pulled over and dont have proof of insurance on your car?

People not having health insurance isn't the same as not having car insurance.

why?

Really? why? are you serious? People can do alot of serious damge with a car and you need to be responsible for your actions if you damage peoples property or injure or kill someone; therefore, auto insurance is a good idea. If I don't want to carry health insurance I shouldn't have to, the only person I'm possibly endangering is myself.

I'm gonna go feed, I'll be back later.

really?

if you have a heart attack and go to cardiac ICU it's gonna cost several hundred thousand dollars. Who pays?

maybe if you decide not to have insurance, the hospital should be closed to you?

it's the same

The hell an energency can not turn you away. Unless your life is in immediate danger of expiring, the emergency room is NOT required to take you in. Only when you are in danger of imminent death, or have a broken bone are they required to admit you for evaluation and treatment. Threatened suicide is considered an immediate danger to ones life, and most places, if not all, require that the emergency room admit the person for three days without allowing them to be able to be checked out for their own safety. Way too many er's however, deny this law, and claim it doesn't exist inb order to get out of having to take in a depressed patient.

In my opinion, we need to go back to triaging the patient upon entering the ER, and ASKING WHY THEY ARE THERE before they are put intot he system AND IF THEY HAVE BEEN REFERRED BY THEIR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN. If they do not have a primary care, then most places have an urgent care for instances like the flu, or when you do not have a primary care physician.

ll this nonsense about not having one insurance for all is nothing but pure and utter poppycock as well. Most other countries have a form of this, and all of them that do also have private companies, because yuo can not get stuff like a face lift or tummy tuck etc on the government health plan. You can only be seen for regular and normal visits as wll as true emergencies. And if you go in and it isnt an emergency you are turned away unless you can show your primary care referred you tot he hospital in the first place.

Makes sense but I am still not a fan of this. Of course this bill does not provide a public plan at all so you will pay coming or going here.

I've met a couple of people that do that.

I took my child to the ER last month. There was somebody sitting in the ER waiting room at 2:00 a.m., Sunday night, because they had a rash on their hand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GoFj8Fc9iM

People that need health insurance.

If I died I wouldn't have to listen to this!