I just read this on the Americans Abroad site:

Health care tax for Americans abroad? ACA is requesting all members and supporters to email, fax and/or write their Senators in support of a change in legislative language to the bill "Americas Healthy Future Act of 2009" authored by Senator Max Baucus.
In the 16 September 2009 version of this bill there is wording which would cause great hardship on American citizens living outside the US. The wording would leave Americans overseas exposed to paying an excise tax regardless of whether they carry health insurance via overseas health providers. The purpose of the proposed excise tax is to encourage all Americans who benefit from the US health program to participate in its financing. Americans residing overseas cannot benefit from the US health system so for them the excise tax is just that -- a tax with no counter-part service. Currently the planned maximum excise tax per family for non-participation would be $1,900.

Please help ACA to insure that Americans overseas are not unfairly taxed. Help ACA to bring this matter to the attention of the decision makers in Washington DC by writing to your representative today. Attached is a sample letter that you can use to write to your Senator. We strongly suggest that you fax your letter as this has the most immediate effect however, you may also email or hard copy mail. Visit the following website for address information on your Senator. www.congressmerge.com


If this is happens I am going to be right upset!

Here's a link to the article, which also includes the sample letter.

I'll be sending that out, and I urge any other Americans or green card holders to please do the same.

Thanks evilshell

I am faxing mine right now. I hope all Americans on this forum do it too!

Talk about another tax without representation!

I just emailed mine off, let's hope it makes a difference!

Thanks Evilshell and Mr Mert!

Letters sent...

Now they know where to find you!!!

I just got caught up with my taxes and those awful FBAR forms. They can find me, regardless

For some reason I always read that as "FUBAR".

Heh, same here.

That is how my wife and I refer to them, and it is exactly how I feel about them too.

I just sent my tax return in about a week ago, and I am up
to me arse in taxes. Do I really need another one?

If they pull a stunt like this and bill me for a tax that has nothing to do
with me and where I live.... My thoughts are:

1. Make copies of $1900.- of my medical bills or insurance bills.
2. Sent these copies in place of my payment.

or

Pay the tax and send my medical bills to them for payment.

or

Pay a one time *CHF 10,000.- price and get a Swiss passport. Can
anyone imagine what will happen with my other passport?

* = or whatever it costs

This nonsense is definitely making me consider giving up the blue passport. I don't owe any taxes, but am tired of having my private life overseas infringed upon.

The little blue billing wonder will disappear at my earliest opportunity. I'm tired of the US overeaching itself around the world in many ways -- but this is just ridiculous.

Ditto .

look on the bright side, the 1900 will reduce your taxable value.

no wonder Obama looked embarrassed at getting the Nobel "taking the" Peace prize

I sympathisize with you. However, I don't think anyone sat down and tried decided we will make US expatriates pay for the health care, my guess is that as usual in the legislting process they don't think about Americans living overseas and don't really care about them.

Letters are a start but if anyone works for a big company with US lobbyists that would be the best angle - how US politics works

Thanks for the information. It seems that legislators NEVER think about Americans abroad, except as a source of funding.

I don't want to offend anybody but Washington does not care at all about you the US expats. It is quite the opposite actually. You sometimes are referred to as some sort of traitors that should be living and paying taxes in the US and are therefore not real patriots.
It is a different situation for us, Swiss expats. We are seen as ambassadors for Swiss interests that occasionally spend quite a bit of money in Switzerland during our vacation.

Absolutely.

I can't tell you how many peole gave me "that look" when I was preparing to move over. The "how dare you want to leave this perfect country! Traitor!" look.

I've always felt they (the government) wanted to punish us for leaving, hence the taxes and other assorted nonsense.

Actually, so many people cannot fathom why you'd even want to leave...