Health Insurance Anxiety on Capitol Hill


Lawmakers and congressional staff members are concerned about whether the federal government will continue to pay part of their premiums as they move to buying insurance through the exchanges next year.
The 2010 health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152) requires lawmakers and their personal staff to buy insurance through the exchanges, a provision originally added by Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa.


But with the exchanges scheduled to start Jan. 1, many questions remain about how the Office of Personnel Management, which manages government employees’ benefits, will implement the provision. Congressional staff members worry that the federal government will not be able to contribute money toward their premiums at the beginning — leaving them to cover 100 percent of the cost of their health premiums.
Anxiety about the requirement increased Thursday following reports that congressional leaders of both parties were holding secret meetings to try to exempt lawmakers and their staff.


A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., insisted that such conversations were not taking place.


“There are not now, have never been, nor will there ever be any discussions about exempting members of Congress or Congressional staff from Affordable Care Act provisions that apply to any employees of any other public or private employer offering health care,” the spokesman said in a statement.
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http://bighealthreport.com/7947/heal...-capitol-hill/




Gee the rats are scurrying around trying to get themselves exempted out of this mess called obummercare!! Hopefully next we will force them to live on social security like the "regular people"!!!