Dems Say Obamacare Is Good Enough for Us - but NOT Their Staff

[red states rule]

Looks like Dems have been busted again on trying to protect their buddies from Obamacare

First Dems exempt Congress from taking Obamacare

Then the unions

Then they allow illegals to get taxpayer paid Obamacare

Now they want to shield their staff from having to take Obamacare?

Obamacare must not be such a crackerjack plan if Dems want nothing to do with it




Grassley says Democrats trying to protect staff from health insurance exchange
by O. Kay Henderson on December 3, 2009

in Politics & Government

Senator Chuck Grassley says the Senate’s Democratic leaders are trying to protect their staff from having to use the government-run “insurance exchanges” that are created by the health care reform bill being debated in the senate. Grassley, a Republican, voted against the heath care reform plan that emerged this fall from the Senate Finance Committee.

But Grassley successfully added an amendment to the bill which would force all members of congress and their staff to use the so-called “public option” to get their health insurance. Grassley plans to offer a broader amendment this month during debate in the full senate. Grassley wants all senators, members of congress and their staff, as well as the president and all White House staff to be forced to use the “public option” if it’s included in the final package.

“I intend to move forward in a more aggressive way than I did in committee — and we were successful in committee and I think we’ll be more successful on the floor — to make sure that congressmen, and we’ll start including the executive branch political appointees, to see that they’re covered by the public option,” Grassley says, “if we’re going to have a public option.” No word, yet, on when debate of Grassley’s proposal may occur.

Grassley plans to vote against the entire bill, in its final form, if it includes the so-called “public option.” “When the government’s a competitor, a regulator and a funder, then it’s not a very fair competitor,” Grassley says. “It tends to be a predator.” Grassley says it was “inexcusable” for the senate’s Democratic leaders to edit out provisions in the health care reform bill that called for all congressional staff to get their health insurance through the “public exchanges” that’d be created by the bill.

Grassley’s amendment would require that all political appointees in the executive branch of government would have to get their insurance through the ‘public exchanges” as well. That means cabinet secretaries like Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and their top staff would have to get their insurance through the public “exchanges.”

http://www.radioiowa.com/2009/12/03/grassley-says-democrats-trying-to-protect-staff-from-health-insurance-exchange/

[Joe Steel]

If you like the insurance you have, you can keep it.

Why is that so difficult for you to understand?

[red states rule]

If you like the insurance you have, you can keep it.

Why is that so difficult for you to understand?

Sure you can keep it - just do not lose it

If you do, you may not buy from a private ins company - you must buy Obamacare

That is what Dems are avoiding for themselves and their friends

[Luna Tick]

Same old misinformation. In fact, that's been the only tactic used by the opposition to health care reform, unless you consider half truths different from misinformation. The truth is most Americans will be insured by private companies under both the House and the Senate bill with only about 9 percent insured through the public option. And the Senate bill may end up with no public option (which would be a mistake). Your private insurance remains the same except that they can't exclude you because of a pre-existing condition and they can't rescind your health care if you get sick. In short, insurance companies won't be able to use their usual dirty tricks to deny service. How evil.

No one's trying to "protect" anyone from the public option. It's an OPTION, meaning it's elective. You don't have to choose it. You can change jobs and elect private insurance. The claim that you have to select the public option is a flat-out lie. You don't have to pay into it. It's to be solely supported by the premiums paid into it just like is the case with any health insurance company. If you don't have Aetna, you don't pay into it. If you don't have Blue Cross, you don't pay into it. And if you don't have the government's public option, you don't pay into it.

[PostmodernProphet]

The truth is most Americans will be insured by private companies under both the House and the Senate bill with only about 9 percent insured through the public option.

not completely true.....existing policies are grandfathered, but the companies will no longer be able to market existing plans to other customers.....nor can they adjust premiums to change for evolving needs.....gradually existing plans will be forced out of business, leaving only plans which mirror the public option.....


You can change jobs and elect private insurance.
if you change jobs, the only insurance that can be offered to you is a plan which is identical to the public option......if you think this is somehow different from the public option you are a fool.....if you realize it isn't, you are a liar.....

[Trigg]

If you like the insurance you have, you can keep it.

Why is that so difficult for you to understand?

ding, ding

They have a government run insurance funded by the taxpayers. If there is a public option (paid for by the taxpayers) than that is the insurance plan they should have.

Why would they be offered a SPECIAL other plan?????????????????

Hope and change for the future. :dance:

[Trigg]

Same old misinformation. In fact, that's been the only tactic used by the opposition to health care reform, unless you consider half truths different from misinformation. The truth is most Americans will be insured by private companies under both the House and the Senate bill with only about 9 percent insured through the public option. And the Senate bill may end up with no public option (which would be a mistake). Your private insurance remains the same except that they can't exclude you because of a pre-existing condition and they can't rescind your health care if you get sick. In short, insurance companies won't be able to use their usual dirty tricks to deny service. How evil.

No one's trying to "protect" anyone from the public option. It's an OPTION, meaning it's elective. You don't have to choose it. You can change jobs and elect private insurance. The claim that you have to select the public option is a flat-out lie. You don't have to pay into it. It's to be solely supported by the premiums paid into it just like is the case with any health insurance company. If you don't have Aetna, you don't pay into it. If you don't have Blue Cross, you don't pay into it. And if you don't have the government's public option, you don't pay into it.

Here is the problem.......that the Europeans and Canada already have.


In order to fund a public option TAXES on EVERTHING will have to increase.

Why would people continue to pay for private insurance PLUS pay for the extra taxes??????

Most people will not be able to afford both, in essence, that will FORCE people to drop their insurance and accept the public option.


Why do you think gas in other countries is $2 a liter and we pay so much less? TAXES to fund the "free" healthcare.

[red states rule]

Same old misinformation. In fact, that's been the only tactic used by the opposition to health care reform, unless you consider half truths different from misinformation. The truth is most Americans will be insured by private companies under both the House and the Senate bill with only about 9 percent insured through the public option. And the Senate bill may end up with no public option (which would be a mistake). Your private insurance remains the same except that they can't exclude you because of a pre-existing condition and they can't rescind your health care if you get sick. In short, insurance companies won't be able to use their usual dirty tricks to deny service. How evil.

No one's trying to "protect" anyone from the public option. It's an OPTION, meaning it's elective. You don't have to choose it. You can change jobs and elect private insurance. The claim that you have to select the public option is a flat-out lie. You don't have to pay into it. It's to be solely supported by the premiums paid into it just like is the case with any health insurance company. If you don't have Aetna, you don't pay into it. If you don't have Blue Cross, you don't pay into it. And if you don't have the government's public option, you don't pay into it.

Yep, your post is a fountain of misinformation

As far as getting private insurance




It's Not An Option

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Wednesday, July 15, 2009 4:20 PM PT

Congress: It didn't take long to run into an "uh-oh" moment when reading the House's "health care for all Americans" bill. Right there on Page 16 is a provision making individual private medical insurance illegal.

It turns out we were right: The provision would indeed outlaw individual private coverage. Under the Orwellian header of "Protecting The Choice To Keep Current Coverage," the "Limitation On New Enrollment" section of the bill clearly states:

"Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day" of the year the legislation becomes law.

So we can all keep our coverage, just as promised — with, of course, exceptions: Those who currently have private individual coverage won't be able to change it. Nor will those who leave a company to work for themselves be free to buy individual plans from private carriers.

http://chicagobluesgirl.com/2009/07/16/the-dirty-little-secret-is-on-page-16-of-the-healthcare-plan/


When you run the numbers most Americans are already have health insurance. The number of 40 million people the left tosses out as needing insurance is inflated and intended to be misleading.

The following numbers are estimates from various sources I have read:

About 15 million of the 40 million are illegals and are not to be here to begin with

Then you have about 8 million who are young and decide to go without and want to spend their money on other things

Then you have about 3 million who are very rich and pay their own way

Finally you have 8 million who are already eligible for a current government program like Medicade and decline to enroll

So the Dems will force these people to take coverage or fine them and toss them in jail?

So that leaves you with about 6 million AMERICANS who need health insurance but can't afford it. So we are to allow Dems to takeover the entire system?

That is like bulldozing your home to fix a leaky pipe under the kitchen sink

Libs can smear private insurance compnaies but the facts are, Medicare has a higher rate of denied claimes then any private insurance company - and the average profit margin for health insurance companies is about 3.3%

Only a fool would believe any service or product would be cheaper,and more efficient of the government delivereed it then the private sector

[HogTrash]

Whatever medical coverage they receive will be at the expense of the taxpayers and far superior to anything most Americans will have.

[red states rule]

Whatever medical coverage they receive will be at the expense of the taxpayers and far superior to anything most Americans will have.

You got it

That is why they will not accept Obamacare. That is reserved for the serfs tending the farm - i.e the US taxpayer

[sgtdmski]

Okay folks tell me how long do you think private companies will be able to survive the competition of the US government?? Truthfully answer the question?

Let us look at the facts. Private companies must collect enough money in premiums to cover the costs their insurees incur during a year.

The government run insurance plan gets its money from the federal government who in turn gets its money from the taxpayer, to start a company the federal government is providing 5 billion dollars for the public option plan, that money does not come from premiums but from you guessed it the taxpayer. So while I am paying for my own plan, I am now also paying for someone elses plan as well. Why I am paying twice, screw my premiums, I must as well go on the government plan and only pay once.

Secondly, no government program once created ever dies, that means even if enough people do not use the government plan you can once again bet you bottom dollar that they will offer as many services as possible to attract more clients, once the cost goes up do you think that the government will allow it not to pay its bills, of course not, they will just provide more money.

So the government run plan never need worry about having to deny services, for it will always have the money unlike the private plan which if it spends more than it can afford it will have to either take out a loan or go bankrupt.

If Congress wants a public option, then it must ensure that the public option runs exactly as the private plans must run. That means, that Congress must establish 50 separate plans, one for each state, currently it is against the law for Insurance companies to operate in different states, each company must have a branch and a plan unique to each of the 50 states.

If Congress wants to promote competition, then let it follow the exact same rules as the private companies, and that should include no taxpayer monies to front the company or to pay for services, let the public plan pay from the premiums it collects just like the private companies do.

Finally, if this so called Healthcare Reform is so great, then yes it is time to eliminate the Federal Employees Insurance Plan, currently paid for by Taxpayers, and allow all federal employees and members of the government to take part in it. Why have two plans supported by Taxpayer monies when 1 will work.

Make Congress take part in the same plan and then let us see how fast the jump on board and vote for it.

dmk

[SassyLady]

If you like the insurance you have, you can keep it.

Why is that so difficult for you to understand?

Really??? What about spouses who are covered under the primary's insurance who get a divorce? How do they keep their insurance plan? Cobra? And when that runs out? Oh, yeah, that's right - go on the public option.

Try to think past the 70% solution.

[SassyLady]

Same old misinformation. In fact, that's been the only tactic used by the opposition to health care reform, unless you consider half truths different from misinformation. The truth is most Americans will be insured by private companies under both the House and the Senate bill with only about 9 percent insured through the public option. And the Senate bill may end up with no public option (which would be a mistake). Your private insurance remains the same except that they can't exclude you because of a pre-existing condition and they can't rescind your health care if you get sick. In short, insurance companies won't be able to use their usual dirty tricks to deny service. How evil.

So why don't they make a law that prohibits insurance companies from denying service instead of spending all this time and money on creating a bureaucratic nightmare if that is all it is?


No one's trying to "protect" anyone from the public option. It's an OPTION, meaning it's elective. You don't have to choose it. You can change jobs and elect private insurance. The claim that you have to select the public option is a flat-out lie. You don't have to pay into it. It's to be solely supported by the premiums paid into it just like is the case with any health insurance company. If you don't have Aetna, you don't pay into it. If you don't have Blue Cross, you don't pay into it. And if you don't have the government's public option, you don't pay into it.

Luna, it's about the "level of care" that will be part of the public option. If the "level of care" is good enough for the masses, then it should be good enough for the public servants, don't ya think? If the public servants are forced to participate in it, I believe they will make sure the level of service is top-notch....................AND, in order to do that it will have to be funded with more than just premiums. It will eventually have to cut corners just as the private companies do.........and lo, and behold, we, the taxpayers will have to fund the difference.

[red states rule]

So why don't they make a law that prohibits insurance companies from denying service instead of spending all this time and money on creating a bureaucratic nightmare if that is all it is?



Luna, it's about the "level of care" that will be part of the public option. If the "level of care" is good enough for the masses, then it should be good enough for the public servants, don't ya think? If the public servants are forced to participate in it, I believe they will make sure the level of service is top-notch....................AND, in order to do that it will have to be funded with more than just premiums. It will eventually have to cut corners just as the private companies do.........and lo, and behold, we, the taxpayers will have to fund the difference.

More facts about Obamacare

The Obamacare bill uses the command "shall" 3,345 times. Not much choice there

Obamacare will create 111 government agencies, boards, commissions and other bureaucracies -- all overseen by a new health-care czar bearing the title "commissioner of health choices."

Obamacare will mamdate small businesses must provide their workers with a government-devised minimum package of insurance benefits. This will wipe out hundreds of thousands of jobs, and at the same time force some workers to accept insurance benefits rather than higher wages

Obamacare will force Americans to pay nearly $730 billion in new taxes, fees and penalties over the next 10 years to fund this huge government expansion

The Obamacare tax increeases happen now, yet Obamacare will not take effect until 2013 - after the 2012 electon