Thread: Congress and staffers MUST sign up for ObamaCare

Internal Senate email warns lawmakers not to sign up for Obamacare yet

By Stephen Dinan
The Washington Times
Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Senate this week warned lawmakers and their staff not to sign up for Obamacare’s health exchanges, saying that the administration hasn’t yet finalized the rules for how to keep paying for their premiums.
“Members and staff are advised that they should delay enrolling in health insurance plans until we are able to offer further guidance as to how they should enroll in these insurance plans for 2014,” the Senate disbursing office said in an email to staffers Monday. “Premature enrollment could adversely impact eligibility for the employer premium contribution.”

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PHOTOS: Famous quitters: Those who bailed rather than face scandal, scrutiny or stress

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The health exchanges are slated to open next week, and mark a key milestone for the Affordable Care Act.

They were created as marketplaces where those who are now required to obtain insurance but who don’t get plans through their jobs can go to shop for coverage.

During the 2009 health care debate Congress approved language insisting that lawmakers and staffers in their personal offices will lose their federal health plans and must shop for plans on the exchanges — though last month’s ruling by the Office of Personnel Management said taxpayers will still continue to pay 72 percent of the premiums.

Republicans said that’s a benefit most Americans won’t get.

“If Obamacare is going to force Americans all over this country to lose their employer-provided health insurance, be forced onto the exchange with no subsidies, then the men and women who serve in this body should feel that pain exactly the same,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, who on Tuesday staged a filibuster to block the chamber floor and draw attention to his fight to defund the health law.

Sen. Richard J. Durbin, though, said if members of Congress lost their taxpayer subsidies for health insurance, would Mr. Cruz want all workers to be stripped of support from their companies.

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SPECIAL COVERAGE: Health Care Reform

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“You better think twice about this. If you want to stop the employer contribution to health insurance, that is the headline for tomorrow,” Mr. Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat in the chamber, said.

The Democratic-controlled Senate is actually slower to warn its employees than the GOP-run House, where the chief administrative officer sent a letter two weeks ago warning that the exchange rules for members of Congress aren’t ready yet.

“Members and staff are advised that although state and federal healthcare exchanges created under the ACA will open for enrollment on October 1st, it will not be possible to confirm plan options, costs, benefits, or which House staff will be affected until OPM issues final regulations, which could very well be after the exchanges have already opened,” the House administrative office said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...#ixzz2fv7QVT9m

I guess what is good for the Goose isn't good for the Gander!!

The Senate this week warned lawmakers and their staff not to sign up for Obamacare’s health exchanges, saying that the administration hasn’t yet finalized the rules for how to keep paying for their premiums.

You mean how to make the taxpayers pay for it...

5 hours ago

Fact Check: Congress, staff are exempt from Obamacare

Posted by
CNN Staff
ASSERTION:
President Obama exempted members of Congress from Obamacare.

“President Obama recently issued a special rule for Congress and congressional staff to get a special subsidy to purchase health insurance on the Obamacare Exchange unavailable to every other American at similar income levels,” said Republican Sen. David Vitter. “That’s an exemption, plain and simple.”
FACTS:
When Obamacare was passed into law, Sen. Charles Grassley, the Iowa Republican, attached language to the bill that mandated members of Congress and their staffers would have to buy health insurance on the newly created health insurance exchanges. What nobody accounted for at the time was that members of Congress and their staffers currently have health insurance through their employer – the federal government. No other employer has been legally required to drop its employee’s health care plan and have them buy coverage on the exchanges.
Like most other large employers, the federal government contributes a portion to the premiums of its employees. In fact, like many employers, the federal government pays most of the premiums for its workers; an average of 72 percent on Capitol Hill. The law didn’t account for the continued employer contribution for these federal workers who would now be buying their insurance on the exchanges. The exchanges were designed to help people without health insurance and people with overly expensive health insurance. It became clear that without their employer contribution, members and their staffers would essentially be getting a cut in pay and benefits equal to thousands of dollars. Even Grassley, the provision’s author, had said the government should continue to contribute to lawmakers’ and staffers’ premiums. What the Obama administration has done is ruled that the congressional workers will continue to receive the employer contribution to help them buy their insurance on the exchange.

VERDICT:
False. Congress is no more exempt than any other employer who drops coverage and then helps employees purchase insurance on the exchanges.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/25/fact-check-congress-staff-are-exempt-from-obamacare/

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...rom-obamacare/

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ObamaCare Mandate - 9 Exemptions

http://www.cchfreedom.org/<acronym title="Google Page Ranking">pr</acronym>/ObamacareMandate-9Exemptions.pdf