Reid defends Obamacare exemption for Congress: ‘That’s what the law says’

The Daily Caller ^ | 9/12/2013

[markomalley]

Senate majority leader Harry Reid defended the special Obamacare exemptions carved out for lawmakers and their staff on Thursday during a Capitol press conference, insisting that Congress members and staff will participate in Obamacare’s exchanges.

Responding to the hoopla surrounding the health insurance policies on Capitol Hill, the Nevada Democrat flatly stated Thursday, “That’s what the law says, and we’ll be part of that.”

Reid said the Republicans and critics are just using the issue as a “diversion” to “try and embarrass the president.”

“Let’s stop these really juvenile political games,” Reid said. “The one dealing with healthcare for Senators and House members and our staff. We are going to be part of exchanges.”

The Office of Personnel Management announced in August that it plans to provide a subsidy of about 75 percent of the cost for the healthcare of members and staff.

The Obamacare fix for lawmakers and staff was made because the Affordable Care Act includes an amendment from a Republican senator that changes how the government currently covers most of the cost of health-care premiums for members and their staffers.

The new law mandates that members and staff must enter into exchanges or be covered by insurance “created” by law.

Lawmakers worried about a potential “brain drain” — Capitol Hill staffers leaving work because of the increased costs of health care — and therefore wanted the fix.

While Republicans are protesting the subsidy, Reid argued it’s typical for employers to pay for healthcare costs of employees.

“We’ll be treated like the rest of the federal employees,” he said Thursday. “It’s nothing unique that employers help pay for health care. Ford Motor Company, Sears, doesn’t matter.”

[VerySadAmerican]

I tried to make the same argument when Hillarycare was being pushed. Having insurance has nothing to do with getting good care.

[ilovesarah2012]

“Reid argued it’s typical for employers to pay for healthcare costs of employees”

Not these days it isn’t.

[lowbridge]

Voters of Nevada...please explain yourselves.

[Amagi]

‘That’s what the law says’

As if it was handed down from God and inscribed in stone, Pinky Reid?
Sorry Pinky, you cheap crook, but you clowns in congress are hardly dieties.
The American people are not going to stand for your duplicity this time.
We The People will be exempt if you are.

[sarasmom]

“By the way, health insurance does not = healthcare”

True. And a large number of people who stupidly thought they were going to start getting affordable health care are going to find out differently by Oct 1, 2013.

That's the final drop dead deadline where almost all USA employers are required by a related Dept of Labor law, to officially notify all current employees of exactly what the Democrat ONLY minions of Obama/Reid/Pelosi have wrought for the working class people of the USA.

It is important to remind everyone everyday, that no Republican, as in zero, in both the House and the Senate, voted for the ACA/Obamacare.

Not even the most execrable examples of former or current elected RINO Senators or House Representatives, signed their names to this nation killing fiasco.

[eartick]

The enemy is inside the wire

Point your weapons inward

Call Broken Arrow....I repeat Broken Arrow

The enemies we need to fight and destroy are in DC and elections will not fix what is broken. Face the facts people

[Hoodat]

Reid is lying. The law says no such thing. What the law actually says is that members of Congress will lose their current coverage upon passage of the bill and that they must join a government exchange beginning in 2014. During the interim, they must fend for themselves.

Of course no one in Congress actually obeyed this law, primarily because no one in Congress actually read the law. But ignorance of the law is no excuse. I would welcome anyone filing suit against Congress for violating their own law.

[a fool in paradise]

While Republicans are protesting the subsidy, Reid argued it’s typical for employersTAXPAYERS to pay for healthcare costs of employeesbenefits for the elected class and their staff.

Congress is also exempt from insider trading laws. The Lord knows it's because we don't pay those crooks enough as it is.

[Dark Knight]

I like the provision that forces congress to follow its own laws, that does not happen very often. Since Congress already pays their health care, it is not a true additional cost, the increase in cost of the health care would be.

What I am concerned about, it the transferring of decision making in healthcare to government for “efficiency”. They can’t do it on time, and that is an indicator about whether the healthcare can be delivered “on time”.

Instead of being able to directly pay for service, and getting the service you and your doctor decide, an insurance company will be put in the middle. Since the politicians are involved in the rule making, there is always a loophole for the connected.

If denied a service/procedure that is not covered but needed there is little effective recourse by the “people who don’t count”, which is most people. “People who count” will get needed care, and it will be paid for by the masses. This is the lesson of the Soviet Union version of communism/socialism most people don’t get. The system will become less efficient because of bureaucracy and corruption, which means even less real care is available.

Obama care health care value=Current healthcare value -additional bureaucracy (inefficiencies)-additional corruption

Assuming typical Soviet type values of 30% for either and that is a system that is 40% of what we have now, for the same cost. Wonderful.

DK