Truth

There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.

Arizona

Arizona

Friday, October 8, 2010

Do you want Fries with your McBribe?

Political Cartoon by Lisa Benson
I doubt the Ministry of Truth will be too happy to report this story.
Remember during the Health Care Debate this was ll about the poor, low wage person who had no health insurance and that the evil company the worked for had to be forced by the employer mandate to be “fair”??
“It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don’t. And it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government”-President Barack Obama
Remember the threats from HHS Secretary Kathleen Sibelius to insurers to not blame ObamaCare for Rate increases?
Sept 30th, Wall Street Journal: McDonald’s Corp. has warned federal regulators that it could drop its health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers unless regulators waive a new requirement of the U.S. health overhaul.
Last week, a senior McDonald’s official informed the Department of Health and Human Services that the restaurant chain’s insurer won’t meet a 2011 requirement to spend at least 80% to 85% of its premium revenue on medical care.
McDonald’s and trade groups say the percentage, called a medical loss ratio, is unrealistic for mini-med plans because of high administrative costs owing to frequent worker turnover, combined with relatively low spending on claims.
Democrats who drafted the health law wanted the requirement to prevent insurers from spending too much on executive salaries, marketing and other costs that they said don’t directly help patients. (Feel good economics :) )
McDonald’s move is the latest indication of possible unintended consequences from the health overhaul. Dozens of companies have taken charges against earnings—totaling more than $1 billion—over a tax change in prescription-drug benefits for retirees.
So the evil corporate exploiter of low income people had insurance for it’s workers but said they were thinking of dropping it because ObamaCare was going to be too expensive.
The Obama Administration immediately jumped on it : The White House pushed back hard with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Jessica Santillo claiming: “This story is wrong. The new law provides significant flexibility to maintain coverage for workers.”
Then was a rumor of a back room deal. The Obama Administration denied it.
Well, guess what…
The federal government has granted 30 companies and organizations one-year waivers to exempt them from one of the newly-implemented health care reforms.
Guess who’s one of them?  McDonalds. Gee, that only took a week!! :)
And it’s a one Year waiver, guess what next year is– Obama’s Re-Election campaign.
Anyone see more waivers and extension coming?? :)
I guess that was “fair”. Some workers are now more “fair” than others. :)
And after all, it was such a great plan to begin with. :)
Waiver list: http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/patient/appapps.html
The biggest single waiver, for 351,000 people, was for the United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund, a New York union providing coverage for city teachers.
Gee, I thought they were Obama’s Apparatchiks. I guess they didn’t get their bailout money (or maybe they did but turned it around and feed the Democrats Re-election campaigns instead) :) .
So Obama is kissing up to his Union apparatchiks AGAIN!
At least one was a Health Insurance Company: CIGNA.
The irony I’m sure is lost on the Ministry of Truth.
So how many more waivers are to come? Leaving guess who, to hold the bag?
YOU!!
Rejoice. That’s your Hope & Change for you. Aren’t you happy? :)
But what’s funnier is all that nashing of teeth and all that rhethoric for nearly two years about non-one losing coverages…
Without the waivers, companies would have had to provide a minimum of $750,000 in coverage next year, increasing to $1.25 million in 2012, $2 million in 2013, and unlimited coverage in 2014.
“The big political issue here is the president promised no one would lose the coverage they’ve got,” Robert Laszewski, chief executive officer of consulting company Health Policy and Strategy Associates, said by telephone. “Here we are a month before the election, and these companies represent 1 million people who would lose the coverage they’ve got.”(Bloomberg)
And the Spin:
“The waivers are about insuring people and protecting the coverage they have until there are better options available to them in 2014,” White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs said today.
Meaning, we’ll cover we’ll exempt you from ObamaCare until 2014 when you’ll drop them anyhow and then the taxpayers will have to pay for them anyhow through the government run health care. Isn’t that peachy! :)
The bulk of the new health care reforms will go into effect in 2014. At that point, some large employers that drop coverage for their workers will be subject to a fee. Consumers will also have the option of using new state-based health care exchanges to access the individual health care market.
By 2014, insurers will be completely barred from limiting annual benefits. The new regulations are being phased in until then: companies without waivers will have to provide a minimum of $750,000 in coverage next year, $1.25 million in coverage in 2012, and $2 million in 2013.
“HHS is to committed strengthening employer-based coverage for employees and retirees, while building a bridge to a new competitive marketplace in 2014,” HHS spokesperson Jessica Santillo said.
The waiver granted to the United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund will have the biggest impact in terms of numbers, applying to 351,000 enrollees of the Fund’s supplemental insurance plan. McDonald’s insurance carrier, BCS Insurance, received a waiver to cover 115,000 enrollees.
Gibbs said today that the White House does not perceive the need to grant the waivers as a flaw of the new health care reforms.
“This is about implementing a bill correctly,” he said, to ensure that “as reform ramps up, we protect consumers and don’t put them at the mercy of health insurance companies.”
Gee, I thought that was what ObamaCare was supposed to do right out of the gate, not in 2014. :)
Oh, that’s right, you don’t want the young, poor, future socialist voters to get mad at you right now. Not to mention your Union apparatchiks.
So what if it’s a bribe. So what if it’s no longer “universal” and for “everyone”.
So now that  the “fair” playing field and “everyone” is covered is out the window.
You will be stuck with the check.
Doesn’t that just make you want to vote for the Democrats! :)
Political Cartoon by Chuck Asay
Sleep Tight. Don’t let the IRS bite. :)

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