Let's say you decide not purchase health insurance. Could you go to jail? Well, the way the Senate Finance Committee bill is set up now there would be a $1,900 fine if you didn't buy health insurance. But what if you didn't pay the fine? You may be looking at the following scenario below:
Here's the deal: Thomas Barthold, the chief of staff to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, sent a handwritten note to Senator Ensign saying that according to Internal Revenue Code, "willful failure to pay a fine can result in being charged with a misdemeanor which could carry a penalty of up to $25,000, or up to a year in jail, or both."
View the note here.
How will this be handled in the Senate and House bills? Remember, this is not some partisan "stunt" by the Republicans. This information is coming from a reputable source on the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation.