what the hell is this ? obama-exempts-congress-from-obamacare

[tiredtoo]

http://www.againstcronycapitalism.org/2013/08/obama-exempts-congress-from-obamacare-a-list-of-companies-and-unions-with-similar-obamacare-exemptions/

[DCBob]

1. something you heard on Rush Limbaugh show today.

[tiredtoo]

4. have not heard or listened to Rush Limbaugh in years.

Are you telling me this is untrue? I thought i saw something to this effect on moanin joe this morning.

[DCBob]

9. If Limbaugh said it, it probably is a lie.

[Zen Democrat]

10. Y'know what I heard on Limbaugh yesterday?

Liberals hate choice. Liberals are authoritarians like the Soviet Communists. Liberals try to force people to live by their standards instead of making decisions for themselves. Conservatives, however, are the party of choice. God, no wonder people are so effed up in this country with the pied piper of hatefulness playing the tune of projection on the radio for 15 hours a week.

As to a Congressional exemption from Obamacare. Simply not true. Congress will have to buy insurance through the exchanges. The current howl is that Congress wants the government to throw in some subsidies for them if premiums are higher than before. The concern is not for the members, but for members of the Congressional staffs.

http://www.factcheck.org/2013/05/congress-and-an-exemption-from-obamacare/

[DCBob]

12. yeah.. thats one of their key talking points...

Last edited Fri Aug 2, 2013, 09:10 PM - Edit history (1)

"Libs" want to force people to depend on the government. Such utter non-sense.

[truedelphi]

2. He doesn't need to exempt them from it -

They already are.

[NYC_SKP]

3. It is SHIT. Article uses Free Republic as one of its sources!!!!

"connected companies and unions have gotten exemptions," links to a FR post!!!!

[tiredtoo]

6. Sorry i did not check prior to posting. eom

[cali]

5. it's a big lie

please read this to see it debunked.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023392290

[rufus dog]

7. Ok

O.K., then

[Kingofalldems]

8. Fail

[geek tragedy]

11. Fuck Ron Paul. nt

[cali]

14. nope. I don't think this is evidence of that.

[Cali_Democrat]

15. Perhaps you're right. I will delete.

[Motown_Johnny]

16. Click on the "Go to article" link at the bottom

What is at that link makes sense. As I read it it seems that there was an attempt to stop paying subsidies to members of Congress and some of their staff. That attempt seems to have failed.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/congress-to-get-obamacare-exemption-report-2013-08-02


^snip^

MARKET PULSE Archives
Aug. 2, 2013, 12:32 a.m. EDT

Congress to get Obamacare exemption: report

By Michael Kitchen

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- The White House has approved a deal that will exempt members of Congress and their staff from some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, Politico reported late Thursday. Under the law, popularly referred to as Obamacare, lawmakers and their aides were required to source health insurance "created" by the law or offered through one of its exchanges, and without the subsidies they currently enjoy, the members of Congress would have faced thousands of dollars in additional premium payments each year, the report said. However, the Office of Personnel Management now plans to rule that the government can continue to make a contribution to the health-care premiums of the lawmakers and their staff, it said, citing unnamed congressional sources and a White House official.

[leftstreet]

17. There are legitimate questions

RW blogs and hair on fire aside...

There's confusion concerning the employer funding of the plans.

The insurance marketplaces are built for individuals, not employers, and there was concern that the federal government could not continue paying its traditional share of congressional health plans. That would mean the entire cost would fall to members of Congress and their staffs, many of whom would likely flee the institution.

Is that because the Congressional plans exceed the employer paid premium amounts allowed under Obamacare?

Obamacare attempts to change this dynamic. Under the law, health plans that cost over $10,200 for an individual or $27,500 for a family will have to pay an excise tax of 40 percent on every dollar that they exceed that cutoff beginning in 2018. As Jonathan Gruber, an MIT economics professor who helped design the law, explained to the New York Times, the tax is meant to reorient the way that employers approach their workers’ health problems and their associated costs. “It’s focusing employers on cost control, not slashing,” said Gruber.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/05/28/2064441/employers-obamacare-cut-wasteful-spending/

9: What is a “Cadillac Health Plan”?

The PPACA imposes a 40 percent excise tax on “Cadillac” health insurance plans. This new tax will apply to health plans valued in excess of $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families. Those thresholds will grow annually by inflation plus 1 percent. The tax takes effect in 2018.
http://www.cpehr.com/affordable-care-act-obamacare-for-business

Has Congress in fact exempted themselves from the requirement?

No one seems to know

We should ask Pelosi as she said they needed to pass Obamacare to find out what was in it. I'm guessing she knows now

[4dsc]

18. Any updates to this story?

I know rightie is going nuts over this matter without all the information needed to make an intelligent decision.

So I'm kind of wondering myself as I haven't seen this on the news anywhere.

[pnwmom]

19. It's extremely misleading. The Congress isn't being exempted from anything.

The government has always paid for a substantial part of the premiums for their old health insurance, and the government will continue to do so under Obamacare. Otherwise, members of Congress who voted for it would be paying a personal financial penalty for supporting Obamacare. That wouldn't be a good way to get their support.