Congress exempt from Obamacare.

[44nutman]

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/congress/item/16210-congress-to-receive-obamacare-exemption

I guess, the monarchy don't want the serfs health care.

WTF, our elected officials throw their shit bucket on the middle to lower class everyday, we wipe the shit off, smile and vote those fucks right back in office.

Next time I see an elected official, am I supposed to bow. I am not sure on the etiquette

[Howey]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/25/no-congress-isnt-trying-to-exempt-itself-from-obamacare/

Based on conversations I’ve had with a number of the staffs involved in these talks, the actual issue here is far less interesting, and far less explosive, than an exemption. Rather, a Republican amendment meant to embarrass Democrats and a too-clever-by-half Democratic response has possibly created a problem in which the federal government can’t make its normal contribution to the insurance premiums of congressional staffers.

Maybe.

See? This is getting boring already.
Here’s how it happened: Back during the Affordable Care Act negotiations, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) proposed an amendment forcing all members of Congress and all of their staffs to enter the exchanges. The purpose of the amendment was to embarrass the Democrats. But in a bit of jujitsu of which they were inordinately proud, Democrats instead embraced the amendment and added it to the law. Here’s the relevant text:


The only health plans that the Federal Government may make available to Members of Congress and congressional staff with respect to their service as a Member of Congress or congressional staff shall be health plans that are — (I) created under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act); or (II) offered through an Exchange established under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act).

Let’s stop for a moment here and explain why this is unusual. Large employers — defined in the law as employers with more than 100 employees — aren’t allowed onto the insurance exchanges until 2017, and only then if a state makes an affirmative decision to let them in.

But the federal government is the largest employer in the country. So Grassley’s amendment means that the largest employer in the country is required to put some of its employees — the ones working for Congress — on the exchanges. But the exchanges don’t have any procedures for handling premium contributions for large employers.

That’s where the problem comes in. This was an offhand amendment that was supposed to be rejected. It’s not clear that the federal government has the authority to pay for congressional staffers on the exchanges, the way it pays for them now in the federal benefits program. That could lead to a lot of staffers quitting Congress because they can’t afford to shoulder 100 percent of their premiums. (There’s also a smaller issue related to how retiree benefits might be calculated. But I’m only willing to go so far into the weeds here.)

You’ll notice a lot of hedged language here: “Ifs” and “coulds”. The reason is that the Office of Personnel Management — which is the agency that actually manages the federal government’s benefits — hasn’t ruled on their interpretation of the law. So no one is even sure if this will be an issue. As the Politico article notes, some offices, like that of Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), interpret the language of the law such that there’s no problem at all. Others are worried it could be an issue, and are trying to prepare ways around it. The staffs I talked to stressed this worrying was preliminary, and felt the Politico article was jumping the gun. “This whole Politico story is based on a ruling that hasn’t even come down yet,” one griped.

[ekg]

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/congress/item/16210-congress-to-receive-obamacare-exemption

I guess, the monarchy don't want the serfs health care.

WTF, our elected officials throw their shit bucket on the middle to lower class everyday, we wipe the shit off, smile and vote those fucks right back in office.

Next time I see an elected official, am I supposed to bow. I am not sure on the etiquette

Dozens of lawmakers had threatened to retire early or simply quit because of fears that their health insurance premiums would drastically increase as a result of a provision found in the healthcare law

Ok, see ya later.. get the fuck out




wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww


did I really just read this?

“Between the constant uncertainty surrounding sequestration, and the likelihood aides will soon be paying for the subsidy portion of their health care coverage, congressional office budgets are being squeezed once again, and it’s causing a lot of concern amongst chiefs of staff regarding how to best handle the situation,” said one chief of staff to a senior Democratic member of the House. “Do we give raises to junior level aides so they can afford to pay for their higher health care costs, and if so, where do we find the funds to do so? Additionally, leadership has been relatively silent in terms of providing guidance to offices, which is frustrating.”

Oh I don't know.. Ask McD's what they would do.. Ask Papa John's.. or Denny's.. I believe their answers is 'fuck you worker, get another job to pay for your healthcare"... and if I'm not mistaken, the reaction to this from the GOP/FOX news is "These business owners shouldn't have to pay more for these employees, these aren't meant to be permanent jobs, just rungs on a ladder"..

aren't 'staffers' jr and otherwise, just 'rungs' on a ladder.. hell, congressional jobs aren't supposed to be for life either..

Much to the relief of these congressional employees, the OPM will be announcing that the “federal government will help pay the cost of premiums” on the new government-run “exchanges” for members of Congress and their staffs, who will “not be eligible for the law’s tax credits and subsidies to buy insurance.”

whoa whoa waitthefuck whoa..

so it's socialism for the Gov't to subsidize the cost of Obamacare for the people who can't afford it? But it's a relief to congressional employees when the same gov't will give the same subsidies for the same healthcare to people who can afford it?

that's a bit of Alice and Wonderland logic right there..

[reverend_darth]

Oh I don't know.. Ask McD's what they would do.. Ask Papa John's.. or Denny's..

Ding, ding, ding.  But they'll tell you how it's somehow different, and the morons will nod their heads and rationalize it as perfectly reasonable.  It reminds me of fat fuck useless lark boy Red from the board back in the day.  He's all against Obama, Obamacare because it's all socialist, and shit but of course he lives for free, and gets his healthcare for free from the VA but THAT's fuckin different.  Typical Pub mentality.  As long as I've got mine fuck the rest.  Life in the bubble with fuckin blinders on is a special place indeed.

[paddymcdougall]

Thanks, Howey, for the sane look at the issue.

Sorry, scandalmongers, move along, nothing to see here.

[ekg]

Thanks, Howey, for the sane look at the issue.

Sorry, scandalmongers, move along, nothing to see here.

except Howie's outdated article is not the same as nutty's current one..

they're close, but different..

Howie's, 'Ezra' april article was.. 'they're not really going to exempt themselves but they are  trying to figure out something..so let's not jump the gun yet'


Nutty's aug article is... well,they've figured it out now.. and their answer is,we'll give them free obamacare that the tax-payers will pay for..


see... Howie's...

There’s a Politico story making the rounds that says that members of Congress are engaged in secret, sensitive negotiations to exempt themselves and their staffs from Obamacare.

Nutty's...

Members of Congress will enjoy a regulatory fix that ultimately saves them thousands of dollars by allowing the federal government to continue subsidizing their health plans

 Nutty's article complains that while they sit up there on the Hill bitching and moaning how damaging it is to freedom if the gov't pays for healthcare and how socialistic it is, IE evil, that obamacare creates subsidies to help the poor pay for their obamacare.. they're at the same time whining and moaning 'whoa is me, who is going to pay for my healthcare'..

as the snippets I used pointed out... they're wondering the same exact thing every other person in this country is wondering "do I give my worker a raise to pay for their healthcare?".. the answer to that, from certain entities, has been a giant "Fuck no, fuck them"..with most of congress agreeing with those 'fuck you's'..

but when it comes to their own.. it's all well and good for the gov't to use tax payer money to pay for their exchange plans..

see the dif in articles? one clarifies that they aren't exempt.. the other shines a light on the hypocrisy going on in the monarchy, I mean congressional halls..

If you guys don't see a problem with the congressional members telling you that it's the root of all evil for the gov't to subsidize your healthcare while at the same time threatening and demanding the same gov't subsidize their healthcare, then OK... but I find it to be a major issue that should be repeated on every news station across the country until we all get the same healthcare as congress and their aides.

scandalmonger?.. huh.. Ok.

[paddymcdougall]

The govt, like any employer, has always subsidized the employees' health care.

The issue here was whether they would continue doing it; there was a poorly written amendment that seemed to prevent the govt from paying the subsidies they'd already been paying all along.


Oh- in terms of the hypocrisy of the repubs who fought ACA and who put in the badly written amendment now whining about it - I agree that's hypocrisy and have no problems with that being highlighted.

[Howey]

/\/\/\ this. It goes back to

 

Like it or not congress has historically enjoyed subsidized premiums, just like **cough** Rick Scott and his high level goons. It's not Obama's fault and it's not Obamacare's fault.

[uselesslegs]

Goose, Gander, wtf is that?

[Howey]

Goose, Gander, wtf is that?

Huh?

[44nutman]

/\/\/\ this. It goes back to

 

Like it or not congress has historically enjoyed subsidized premiums, just like **cough** Rick Scott and his high level goons. It's not Obama's fault and it's not Obamacare's fault.

I think once people drop the left/right bullshit and see who how much elected officials receive in donations, then most realize we are fucked no matter what letter is after the elected officials name.
This go team mentality of left vs right is only a means to keep the sheep in their pastures. We spend more time focusing on the wedge issues and missing the government stealing your wallet and moving that money to people who already have an ass load of money.

[Howey]

Plan for more bullshit between nor and Oct 1st.

This is why I'm telling you the whole story about Congress is bullshit. It all goes back to the "If you like the healthcare you already have and it meets the minimum requirements, you don't have to do anything" line Obama said.

It's true.

I got this today from the VA:

You are enrolled in the VA health care system, which means you have health care coverage that meets the standards under the health care law.

Nothing in the health care law changes your VA health care benefits. You can continue to use VA for all of your halth car needs or complement your VA care with private health insurance or coverage by other federal health care programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE.

I can guarantee you that members of Congress, their staff, members of the military, civil servants, and others receiving health care benefits from the federal government received essentially the same letter today.

IOW, in other words...move along, nothing to see here.

[Howey]

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2013/aug/14/ted-cruz/sen-ted-cruz-says-obama-just-granted-all-congress-/