For those of you who can’t afford health care insurance, you better start saving now for the fine or the insurance you’ll be forced to buy by 2013:

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus’ bid to get a bipartisan agreement on a health care overhaul before President Obama addresses a joint session of Congress Wednesday night calls for imposing a $6 billion tax on insurance companies and fining families $3,800 for not obtaining insurance coverage.
The draft contains many of the expected proposals, including the creation of a series of insurance cooperatives, but lawmakers who were reluctant to support other proposals may be more attracted to what’s not in it – namely, the public option, the employer mandate and the tax increase on wealthy Americans.

He does plan to offer low and middle income households a tax credit:

Tax credits would be issued to help low- and middle-income Americans – individuals whose income is less than $32,000 or families with less than $66,000 – obtain coverage. The thresholds are less generous than the proposals in the House.

There is no public option, just a health insurance exchange with the states forced to provide ombudsman as “consumer advocates.”
There’s no doubt this will raise the cost of insurance. If you thought it was too expensive before, just wait. Not only will the insurance companies pass on the tax to the consumer but we’ll also be paying more for our insurance because it’s mandated. Inevitably cost increases when you force everyone to be covered.
Welcome, to the land of the free where you’re forced to pay exorbitant amounts for health insurance or forfeit your money in fines to the federal government.