“Burn your Obamacare card”, FreedomWorks called out in July. Say “no” to the “health care draft.” Not everyone has the time or energy to become a diehard activist against Obamacare, but some of us, for one reason or another, political or not, would like to just opt out of Obamacare. Thanks to The Federalist, there are alternatives to Obamacare that you can explore, but as Sean Parnell of The Federalist points out, “there’s a right way to opt out of Obamacare and there’s a wrong way to opt out of Obamacare.”

What’s the wrong way? Not making arrangements. Shit happens. It could be an unexpected serious illness or a freak 12 car pile-up because a black cat crossed the road. Be prepared now or you might wind up paying for ‘catastrophic medical expenses’ later.

Parnell recommends four Obamacare alternatives:

• Join a health care sharing ministry. The keyword here being ministry with three being open to Christians only (Samaritan Ministries, Christian Healthcare Ministries, and Christian Care Ministry), although Liberty HealthShare “is open to anyone who agrees with their ethical commitment to religious liberty.” Bonus: “Members are also exempt from having to pay the tax for being uninsured.”

• Buy a short-term health insurance policy. They’re cheaper, with higher deductibles, and not regulated by Obamacare. Drawback? Not necessarily renewable. There’s a possibility of getting up to three years of coverage, but that’s probably the maximum you’ll get.

• Buy an alternative like fixed-benefit, critical illness, or accident insurance. “These policies pay cash in the event you are diagnosed with cancer, spend a night in the hospital, or need some other medical treatment.”

• You can also try working with a medical bill negotiation service. If you want to do your own negotiating, then Parnell recommends using Healthcare Blue Book or Pricing Healthcare to do some healthcare price-checking.

According to Parnell, with a bit of looking around, a bit of healthcare “thrifting,” one can do just fine without being under Obamacare.

But there’s still that nasty fine or rather “tax” for being uninsured. Check to see if you qualify for an exemption. He mentions two:

The first exemption, mentioned briefly above, is for members of health care sharing organizations. Even though they aren’t technically insurance, they do provide coverage and Congress chose to exempt members from having to pay the tax for being uninsured.

There’s also an exemption for people who find that premiums are unaffordable, at least by the government’s definition. If the least-expensive Bronze plan in your area costs more than 8% of your adjusted gross income, you’re exempt from the tax. (The Federalist)

Although not highly recommended by Parnell, he does note that “the IRS can only collect the tax by reducing your tax refund. So, no refund equals no tax.”

Not everyone will choose to opt out of Obamacare. (Sen. Paul, a huge critic of Obamacare, has signed up along with his family. Hear about his experiences below.) Many Americans feel they must sign up for the new healthcare or else. That’s not necessarily the case. Let us know in the comments below if you plan on burning your “Obamacare card” or if you know of other Obamacare alternatives!

WATCH: Rand Paul Talk About His Obamacare Experience

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