Why oh why do we have to follow a law when the lawmakers don't?

[Jackson]

Why oh why do we have to follow a law when the lawmakers don't?

Why do the lawmakers get a waiver for the most controversial law on the books, but we, the men on the street, have to follow it, paying more while they carry on with no repercussions?

Why are we standing for this? Democrats and Republicans should be standing together on this....Stop those waivers! If this ACA is good enough for us, then it is good enough for ALL government workers including Congressmen, aides, the president and all government workers.

 

[MikeK]

Because we elect the wrong people!

We could have had Dennis Kucinich in the White House. But we opted for a choice between Obama and McCain.

We could have had Al Gore, but we allowed the Supreme Court to select Bush.

It is even likely that if Ronald Reagan were alive he could be elected President again.

And so on.

So whose fault is it?

 

[Rozman]

They are better then us.
They feel we should be grateful that they decided to take a few years in their lives
to make America a better place while getting stinking rich in the process.
After government they will land nice soft positions on a board of directors or some such deal.

So the least we should do after they totally fuck us over is to allow them a few perks as our way of saying thanks.

 

[Jackson]

They are better then us.
They feel we should be grateful that they decided to take a few years in their lives
to make America a better place while getting stinking rich in the process.
After government they will land nice soft positions on a board of directors or some such deal.

So the least we should do after they totally fuck us over is to allow them a few perks as our way of saying thanks.

Well, 59 people read this thread and never said a word. I guess we got what we deserved. Only two people bothered to respond. What a damn shame. Screw us over and over, we don't bitch.

 

[Barbarap]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickungar/2011/12/08/congress-exempted-from-obamacare/

 

[Jackson]

Congress Exempted From Obamacare? - Forbes

FACTCHECK:

Q: What type of health insurance do members of Congress receive? Is it a single-payer, government-run system?

A: Members of Congress are covered by private insurance under the same system that covers all federal workers.

Members of Congress have good health insurance by any standard, but it’s not free and not reserved only for them – and it’s not government insurance. House and Senate members are allowed to purchase private health insurance offered through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which covers more than 8 million other federal employees, retirees and their families.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the FEHBP offers about 300 different private health care plans, including five government-wide, fee-for-service plans and many regional health maintenance organization (HMO) plans, plus high-deductible, tax-advantaged plans. All plans cover hospital, surgical and physician services, and mental health services, prescription drugs and “catastrophic” coverage against very large medical expenses. There are no waiting periods for coverage when new employees are hired, and there are no exclusions for preexisting conditions. The FEHBP negotiates contracts annually with all insurance companies who wish to participate. There is plenty of competition for the business; FEHBP is the largest employer-sponsored health plan in the U.S.


Like other large employers, the government pays a large share of the cost of coverage. On average, the government pays 72 percent of the premiums for its workers, up to a maximum of 75 percent depending on the policy chosen. For example, the popular Blue Cross and Blue Shield standard fee-for-service family plan carries a total premium of $1,327.80 per month, of which the beneficiary pays $430.04. Washington, D.C.-based employees who prefer an HMO option might choose the Kaiser standard family plan. It carries a total premium of $825.15 per month, of which the employee pays only $206.29.

In addition, members of Congress also qualify for some medical benefits that ordinary federal workers do not. They (but not their families) are eligible to receive limited medical services from the Office of the Attending Physician of the U.S. Capitol, after payment of an annual fee ($491 in 2007). But services don’t include surgery, dental care or eyeglasses, and any prescriptions must be filled at the member’s expense.
House and Senate members (but not their families) also are eligible to receive care at military hospitals. For outpatient care, there is no charge at the Washington, D.C., area hospitals (Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center). Inpatient care is billed at rates set by the Department of Defense.
Update, Aug. 6, 2012: This item was updated to reflect the employee share of the monthly insurance premiums for 2012. -Brooks Jackson

Health Care for Members of Congress?

Obamacare:

i) REQUIREMENT.-Notwithstanding any other provision of law, after the effective date of this subtitle, 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).

 

[blackhawk]

Why oh why do we have to follow a law when the lawmakers don't?

Why do the lawmakers get a waiver for the most controversial law on the books, but we, the men on the street, have to follow it, paying more while they carry on with no repercussions?

Why are we standing for this? Democrats and Republicans should be standing together on this....Stop those waivers! If this ACA is good enough for us, then it is good enough for ALL government workers including Congressmen, aides, the president and all government workers.

Because Congress lives by the motto do as we say not as we do.

 

[Barbarap]

ASK FACTCHECK
Congress and an Exemption from ‘Obamacare’?
Posted on May 3, 2013 | Updated on Aug. 7, 2013

1.5K
Q: Is it true that there are bills in Congress that would exempt members and their staffs and families from buying into “Obamacare”?
A: No. Congress members and staffers will be required to buy insurance through the exchanges on Jan. 1.

FULL QUESTION
Is it true that there are bills in the House and Senate that will exempt members and their staff and families from buying into Obamacare?
FULL ANSWER
Several readers have asked us about Congress attempting to exempt itself from the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. A few said that a Facebook post claimed that President Barack Obama, Sen. Harry Reid and Democrats in Congress were trying to “get themselves exempted from Obamacare,” in the words of one reader.
But there is no bill in Congress calling for an exemption from the health care law. In fact, members of Congress and their staffs face additional requirements that most Americans don’t have to meet.
Under the health care law, their insurance coverage will have to switch from the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the group of private insurance plans that cover 8 million federal employees and retirees, to the exchanges created by the law. Those exchanges are meant for those who buy coverage on their own, the currently uninsured and small businesses. Members of Congress and their staffs would be the only employees of a large employer in the exchanges, which are set to begin offering insurance in January.
So, why is the false “exempt” claim making the Facebook rounds? There is reportedly concern on Capitol Hill that the Office of Personnel Management, which administers the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, won’t be able to smoothly transition members and their staffs into an exchange. The concern, as a Roll Call story explained, was that the government wouldn’t be able to make contributions toward the federal employees’ premiums, at least at the beginning of 2014. That would mean employees would pick up the whole tab for their insurance policies. Right now, the government pays 72 percent of premiums on average.
The “exempt” claims were sparked by a Politico report on April 24 that said secret talks were being held by lawmakers to change the requirement to get insurance through the exchanges because of this concern. The headline on the story said “Lawmakers, aides may get Obamacare exemption.”
After the story was published, a spokesman for Sen. Harry Reid said there hadn’t been any discussions to exempt Congress from “provisions that apply to any employees of any other public or private employer offering health care.” And Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California told Politico that lawmakers and their staffs will indeed get insurance through the exchanges. “[T]he federal government will offer them health insurance coverage that they obtained through the exchanges because we want to get the same health care coverage everybody else has available to them,” he said.
We contacted the Office of Personnel Management and received this statement from an administration official: “Members of Congress will not receive anything that is not available to the public. The law doesn’t allow them to get insurance from FEHB, they are going to get insurance on the market place, just like uninsured individuals and small businesses.”
We can’t say what did or didn’t happen in any secret meetings. But we can say that no bill has been introduced to exempt members of Congress from the Affordable Care Act — and they were never exempt in the first place. Even if, hypothetically, Congress were to nullify the provision requiring members and their staffs to get insurance on the exchanges, it still wouldn’t amount to an exemption from the law. Lawmakers and staffers would be subject to the mandate to have health insurance or pay a fine, just as everyone else is.
The law provides a few exemptions from the requirement to have insurance, but only for those who earn too little to file taxes, those with financial hardships, those who can’t find affordable coverage, and some religious groups that qualify for Social Security exemptions, mainly Mennonite or Amish.
An Old Falsehood
Bogus claims about Congress being “exempt” date back to early 2010, when different health care bills were still being debated. Some Republicans claimed that Americans, except for members of Congress, would be forced into the government-run “public option” (which wasn’t part of the final bill that became law) or state-based exchanges (which are part of the law).
As we said previously, members of Congress get private health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which actually served as a model for the exchanges. Federal workers pick from among many health plans. The exchanges would operate in the same way — like a marketplace for those shopping for private insurance.
But some Republicans pushed the idea that if the exchanges were good enough for other Americans, they should be good enough for Congress. So, an amendment by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa was added to the Senate bill requiring that the federal government offer only health plans that were part of an exchange to members of Congress and their staffs. The law’s final language on this, written by Sen. Tom Coburn, says that: “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.”
Congressional “staff” is defined as “all full-time and part-time employees employed by the official office of a Member of Congress, whether in Washington, DC or outside of Washington, DC.” As we reported before, Coburn said the provision wouldn’t apply to those working for committees or leadership staff, and a Congressional Research Service report agreed that could be the case.
In other words, the Affordable Care Act places on lawmakers and their staffs additional requirements that don’t pertain to other Americans with work-based insurance.
Update, Aug. 7, 2013: The Office of Personnel Management issued a proposed rule on Aug. 7 explaining that members of Congress and applicable congressional staff will be required to purchase health insurance coverage through the exchanges created by the law. However, according to the proposed rule, the federal government, as the employer, will still be able to make a contribution to health insurance premiums as it currently does. The contribution will be no greater than that now offered to members and their staffs under the FEHB program, and members and their staffs will not be eligible for premium tax credits made available to other persons purchasing health insurance through the exchanges.
– Lori Robertson






© Copyright 2013 FactCheck.org

 

[Imran520]

It is a great point that If lawmakers don't follow a law then why do we have to follow? I find that democrat lawmakers encourage a lack of dignity by telling people they are victims who need handouts without end. latest news at enews.pk

 

[Barbarap]

It is a great point that If lawmakers don't follow a law then why do we have to follow?

Read post 8.

They DO have to sign up for the ACA.

The launch post is BS.

 

[Claudette]

Yup. They are stuck with the ACA just like the rest of us.

Of course we taxpayers are paying up to 72% of their HC costs and in some cases 75% so I doubt any of the clowns, staffers of Fed Employees will bitch to much.

Wonder if any of them will have a $13,999.00 deductable??

 

[Barbarap]

Yup. They are stuck with the ACA just like the rest of us.

Of course we taxpayers are paying up to 72% of their HC costs and in some cases 75% so I doubt any of the clowns, staffers of Fed Employees will bitch to much.

Wonder if any of them will have a $13,999.00 deductable??

I have news for you.... Taxpayers will be paying for everyone enrolled in the ACA.

Who do you know that has a $13,999.00 deductible?

 

[Jackson]

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, after the effective date of this subtitle, 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).

This is interpreted to mean, if they have coverage of an adequate plan (which is a Cadillac plan, and is given to them because they have " a large employer), paying a good part of their premiums, they are fine.

Your info could be interpreted that they could get the FEHBP in the ACA plan, but that doesn't make much sense.

However, it may be a combination of both, that is to say, some aides and some government workers would fall into the category you are talking about, because one Senator was saying that all of the Senators were making the difficult decisions of which of their staff stayed on their health plans and which did not. Could be complicated. But we both know that the Congressmen would vote themselves a good deal.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

The FEHB is the gold cadillac plan. They need excellent health so they can keep authoring such wonderful laws for the serfs.

 

[Claudette]

Yup. They are stuck with the ACA just like the rest of us.

Of course we taxpayers are paying up to 72% of their HC costs and in some cases 75% so I doubt any of the clowns, staffers of Fed Employees will bitch to much.

Wonder if any of them will have a $13,999.00 deductable??

I have news for you.... Taxpayers will be paying for everyone enrolled in the ACA.

Who do you know that has a $13,999.00 deductible?

A friend of a guy I work with.

His monthly is $569 and his deductable is $13,999.00. He almost fell out of his chair. Hell. I almost fell outta my fucking chair and I don't know the guy.

One of the other guys I work with has a deductable for he and his wife. His deductable would be $11,000.

A lady I spoke with at Wal-Mart had a deductable of $12,0000.

Gotta wonder just who the hell the Affordable care act is affordable for.

 

[Sunshine]

[MENTION=27360]Jackson[/MENTION]

Federal employee insurance coverage is negotiated by the AFGE and is a matter of contract. All this did was to prevent a union debacle from happening because if the various federal agencies dumped their employees like companies are doing the union would be into it tooth and nail costing the taxpayers many more dollars. For the federal employees to be required to change insurance now would be a contract violation by the federal government. They would be paying big time for that violation. I don't know what will happen when that contract is up. But given that most federal bennies are negotiated through a union, I don't expect anything to happen.

There, there's your answer. You didn't get one because no one knew the answer. And, I would question why you think the clerk at the front window of the local VA hospital, or the nurses there were in support of the ACA and should be punished because it passed. Most federal employees I know, and I know several, were not in support of the ACA.

 

[Barbarap]

Yup. They are stuck with the ACA just like the rest of us.

Of course we taxpayers are paying up to 72% of their HC costs and in some cases 75% so I doubt any of the clowns, staffers of Fed Employees will bitch to much.

Wonder if any of them will have a $13,999.00 deductable??

I have news for you.... Taxpayers will be paying for everyone enrolled in the ACA.

Who do you know that has a $13,999.00 deductible?

A friend of a guy I work with.

His monthly is $569 and his deductable is $13,999.00. He almost fell out of his chair. Hell. I almost fell outta my fucking chair and I don't know the guy.

One of the other guys I work with has a deductable for he and his wife. His deductable would be $11,000.

A lady I spoke with at Wal-Mart had a deductable of $12,0000.

Gotta wonder just who the hell the Affordable care act is affordable for.

That's hard to believe.

 

[FJO]

The word "affordable", as in "Affordable Care Act", is actually the incorrect and corrupted pronunciation of "a horrible".

 

[Edgetho]

I have news for you.... Taxpayers will be paying for everyone enrolled in the ACA.

Who do you know that has a $13,999.00 deductible?

A friend of a guy I work with.

His monthly is $569 and his deductable is $13,999.00. He almost fell out of his chair. Hell. I almost fell outta my fucking chair and I don't know the guy.

One of the other guys I work with has a deductable for he and his wife. His deductable would be $11,000.

A lady I spoke with at Wal-Mart had a deductable of $12,0000.

Gotta wonder just who the hell the Affordable care act is affordable for.

That's hard to believe.

Your belief is neither expected nor required.

It's still a fact.

You will

 

[Jackson]

The word "affordable", as in "Affordable Care Act", is actually the incorrect and corrupted pronunciation of "a horrible".

Very good, FJO Not Affordable Care Act... A Horrible Care Act. You've got something there!