Obamacare exemption

Originally posted by utherpendragon
We are arguing over symantics here, I believe.
I agree that our health insurance system has run amok and prices are outrageous. But as far as the quality of the care and expertise of the physicians goes, it is top notch.
Lets say (god forbid) one of your children or spouse had a terminal illness, or needed some complicated surgey would you send them out of the U.S. for treatment ?
I highly doubt it.

Three factors have totally distorted a relatively free market health care system.

1. After WWII FDR sought to expand insured health care. He used taxation to do the trick. Companies, especially those with unions, could pay for employee health care, and deduct the premiums. In short people got a raise without a corresponding raise in taxes.

2. LBJ got Medicare and Medicaid passed, which amounts to single payor for the two most expensive groups of health care, the poor and senior citizens.

3. Ted Kennedy concocted the notion of the HMO, and this failed model took over a significant part of the private health insurance business.

Each of these moves created significant distortions in the health care market. Each place bureaucracies between patients and health care providers.

As bad as a pure single payer system would be, Obama care is worse, and by design. When it fails, it sets up the takeover of the system by a pure socialist system.

Originally posted by boonon
Not only congress but their staff as well. My congress woman 'louise Slaugter' was asked why her and her staff should be exempt. I don't have her answer verbatim but she basically danced around the question and said that they have always had a 'premium' health care package, paid for by the tax payer. I say that if it's such a good piece of legislation there w ...[text shortened]... d then retire off of the tax payers, their actions might actually be geared toward the citizens.

Get a clue. The Congress and their staffers, as well as millions of other Americans, already have employer-funded medical insurance. Thus, the ACA need not effectively apply to them.

Originally posted by normbenign
I don't know what you are talking about. This thread is about Congress, and others being excluded from the strictures of the ACA.

If it is so good, why didn't Congress jump on board instead of getting themselves excluded? Why are FOO (friends of Obama) in big business, and unions getting excluded? The first question is almost rhetorical, and the sec ...[text shortened]... ible blowup of the labor coalition, as well as significant loss of middle class and poor voters.

It is a red herring to say that Congress exempted themselves. Doesn't even make sense. Shows your ignorance. Congress already has employer-funded medical insurance.

Whether or not Congress is exempted, doesn't matter. They already have health insurance.

What does it matter? Zero. The impact on a congressional member is exactly the same whether the are fully covered by the ACA or exempted from the ACA.

To even has such a discussion about Congress exempting themselves is nonsensical. After all, they are already effectively unaffected by the provisions of the ACA because they already have health insurance (paid for by the government).

Would it bother you if Congress exempted themselves from the food stamp program?

Moreover, Congress can go to the exchanges to obtain their medical insurance, and may be arguably required to.

Originally posted by normbenign
I don't know what you are talking about. This thread is about Congress, and others being excluded from the strictures of the ACA.

To the contrary, very relevant to understanding the ACA, in light of the stupid original post and your stupid replies.

The freeloaders who can afford medical insurance but do not obtain medical insurance, and thus we pay for their emergency medical care, will now be required to obtain medical insurance or at least pay a tax.

An idea that came from the conservative Heritage Foundation. And then they decided they didn't like it when President Obama embraced it.

Originally posted by moon1969
Get a clue. The Congress and their staffers, as well as millions of other Americans, already have employer-funded medical insurance. Thus, the ACA need not effectively apply to them.

Employer-funded medical insurance you say? You are the one that needs to get a clue! Anyone who works for the federal government is employed by the tax payer!

Originally posted by moon1969
It is a red herring to say that Congress exempted themselves. Doesn't even make sense. Shows your ignorance. Congress already has employer-funded medical insurance.

Whether or not Congress is exempted, doesn't matter. They already have health insurance.

What does it matter? Zero. The impact on a congressional member is exactly the same whether t ...[text shortened]... ress can go to the exchanges to obtain their medical insurance, and may be arguably required to.

I already have health insurance which my employer contributes greatly towards. Why am I not exempt or my company? We just received our new packages where our choices went from 5or6 different plans to only 2. For one of them they can't even tell us what our weekly contribution would be yet! Must be Nancy Pelosi hasn't read what's in the bill yet, although she has had plenty of time since it's passage! Maybe she doesn't care since she has free health care for life from 'me' her employer. Which of course is why you say she is exempt- correct?

Originally posted by boonon
[b]Employer-funded medical insurance you say? You are the one that needs to get a clue! Anyone who works for the federal government is employed by the tax payer![/b]

And if the taxpayer funds the medical care of certain government employees, it is thus employer-funded medical insurance.

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
And if the taxpayer funds the medical care of certain government employees, it is thus employer-funded medical insurance.

So they work for me and can make laws that I must follow, but are somehow able to exempt themselves from 'the law of the land'!

1.What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
2. Lead by example
3. The U.S government works for the citizens, the citizens do not work for or are subjects to the government.

Originally posted by boonon
So they work for me and can make laws that I must follow, but are somehow able to exempt themselves from 'the law of the land'!

1.What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
2. Lead by example
3. The U.S government works for the citizens, the citizens do not work for or are subjects to the government.

It doesn't make sense to say they are "exempt" because they already have employer-funded health care. Obamacare doesn't apply to people who already have (what is deemed) adequate coverage.

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
It doesn't make sense to say they are "exempt" because they already have employer-funded health care. Obamacare doesn't apply to people who already have (what is deemed) adequate coverage.

You couldn't be more wrong.

Originally posted by boonon
You couldn't be more wrong.

I haven't studied the legislation in detail, but can you show me the part where Congressmen are explicitly stated to be exempt? How are they different (from the perspective of this law) from other people who already have employer-funded health care?

Originally posted by KazetNagorra
I haven't studied the legislation in detail, but can you show me the part where Congressmen are explicitly stated to be exempt? How are they different (from the perspective of this law) from other people who already have employer-funded health care?

You and I are not the only ones who haven't studied the legislation in detail. When that very point was brought up in congress by our congressmen and women because the bill was so large, it was said by Nancy Pelosi that it needed to be passed first 'so we can see what's in it'. Now anyone with common sense knows that is pure foolishness. All I can give you are a few articles with quotes from Democrat Dick Durbin made towards Republican Ted Cruze during his recent filibuster.

Shorter Dick Durbin: It's a high crime for Ted Cruz to get his health insurance from private market. How DARE he not make taxpayers fund it!
4:48 PM - 26 Sep 2013

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is really interested in Sen. Ted Cruz’s insurance plan, even more than Harry Reid was obsessed with looking into Mitt Romney’s tax returns. Near the end of Cruz’s 21-hour filibuster on Wednesday, Durbin actually seemed offended that Cruz had chosen not to partake of the congressional health plan, telling Cruz, “you and I are blessed to have the best health insurance in America as members of the United States Senate.” How dare he not take it!.

The whole jist of their exchange was that Durbin planned on keeping his generous health care plan that is funded by the tax payer, while Cruze said that he would not. Durbin has that choice as a member of congress to not participate in the ACA where as I do not.

Originally posted by utherpendragon
Agreed. You're preaching to the choir friend.
Progressives cross party lines.

Always been that way since Teddy Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson. The defining characteristic of a progressive is the claim that they know better than everyone else.

Originally posted by moon1969
It is a red herring to say that Congress exempted themselves. Doesn't even make sense. Shows your ignorance. Congress already has employer-funded medical insurance.

Whether or not Congress is exempted, doesn't matter. They already have health insurance.

What does it matter? Zero. The impact on a congressional member is exactly the same whether t ...[text shortened]... ress can go to the exchanges to obtain their medical insurance, and may be arguably required to.

ACA wouldn't have got a single vote if Congress had not been exempted.

Originally posted by whodey
We hear time after time people wanting and sometimes getting exemptions to opt out of Obamacare. However, the biggest joke of all are those who forced it down our throats and then opted out themselves.

Who here defends this action?

Also, how has Congress defended this decision, or do they even give a damn?

Quit lying. Congress is not exempt.

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

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