US House & Senate Leadership Aides Exempt From Bill?

Article: House GOP aides and the non-partisan Congressional Research Service believe health care legislation passed this week requires lawmakers to enroll in government-run insurance programs -- while exempting leadership staffers, many of whom were instrumental in crafting the bill.

Top staffers buzzed yesterday on an off-the-record Capitol Hill list-serv, citing the part of the mammoth legislation that deals with members of Congress. The federal government can only make available to members and their official staffs health plans created by the bill or offered through an exchange.

Source: hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com...

I am sure the 1st of many little surprises for the common man to be paying for and gettting screwed over.

Maybe we should start a dedicated thread to the HCR breakdown or its contents-so we can see ourselves what is in it-as reported on by us. Be a big undertaking though.

I can hardly muster up a battle cry anymore.

Why does this not surprise me. I am going to let 8 million people know this tomorrow morning on Patriot Radio and see what they do with it.
Good work for getting the truth out on this attack on America.

Not many people know this but there was something about employers being able to charge you more or less on your healthcare premium depending on your medical condition

Something along the lines of 50% more or less. (Fundamentally the same thing as denying you based on conditions, except you have no way out of paying now) The bill needs to be broken down.

Perhaps this thread should be moved to the research section of the forums and there we can pick it apart?

There is a thread up calling for a breakdown of the bill:

Nothing but the facts.... Health Care Bill

Anyway in regards to the OP, I am not in the least bit surprised. -_- Only more interested in looking further into the bill. Thanks for sharing this information.

[edit on 23-3-2010 by Kazera]

reply to post by anon72


This is so outrageous.

This simply highlights what our congressional leaders really are - a bunch of fascist pigs.

They HAVE TO KNOW that the criminal fascist takeover of healthcare is an evil thing or else they wouldn't have done this.

Want good healthcare in the future? Get a job as a Washington staffer.

Here is another source on the topic...

www.politico.com...

It occurs to me that what the exemption of the requirements of the bill achieves is the defacto creation of a separate class of American citizen, the "Federals" and the "debt serfs".

Sigh....

What part of "Equality under the law" does that represent?

Truly sickening to say the least. Nothing we can do though it seems. Come on everyone who has been for this bill what say you? Is this better than what we currently have, politicians seem to believe it is worse with something like this in it.

Its not like those pigs can't afford private care anyways!

The Senate is nothing but millionaires!

They know they sold the public a totally crap deal.

I don't think Congress or their staff should be paid ANYTHING!

They should volunteer and be paid strictly by public donations.

No benefits for those looters PERIOD!

I been posting links to the fact sheet, that is showing what is been concoted as we speak the bill is been worked on is been worked on since passed on Monday, congress is using a what is call unlimited amendments and is a battler going on as we speak here, lots of the promises will be wiped out, the so call insurance for everybody was nothing but a lie, 24 million Americans will not be covered, employees can offer cheaper versions less coverage but the fees are at their discretion.

Insurance will not be regulated Those that have "existing conditions will fall in what will be created as a “high risk pool”

Access to the “high risk pool” is limited and the pool is underfunded. It will cover few people, and will run out of money in 2011 or 2012

Only those who have been uninsured for more than six months will qualify for the high risk pool. Only 0.7% of those without insurance now will get coverage, and the CMS report estimates it will run out of funding by 2011 or 2012

this is what the poor will be getting.

firedoglake.com...

The Second Day Of Senate Consideration Of Reconciliation “Fixes”

firedoglake.com...

First Shoe Has Dropped: The Pre-Existing Condition Coverage for Children

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama’s new health care law has a gap when it comes to one of its much-touted immediate benefits, improved coverage for children in poor health, congressional officials confirmed Tuesday.

Under the new law, insurance companies still would be able to refuse new coverage to children because of a pre-existing medical problem, said Karen Lightfoot, spokeswoman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the main congressional panels that wrote the bill that Obama signed into law Tuesday

The Max Tax: Baucus Plan Fails to Control Growth of Insurance Premiums

fdlaction.firedoglake.com...

So not regulation on premiums on the bill.


WellPoint Policyholders Can Expect Double Digit Increases

And to think that the bill been passed is mostly done by lawyers of this company.

firedoglake.com...

The bomb about the Obama care is in the making as we speak and peole will be hit with it before the can say what in the hell just happen



[edit on 24-3-2010 by marg6043]

here's an ending paragraph, something i pointed out yesterday the 23rd of March in a post here on ATS pointing out the fat-cat elites in congress/senate/ & the higher elected or appointed peoples won't have to put up with the rationed health-care the masses will have to endure/work around.
no wonder i call him Øbama...with a big Nought!

The special exemptions slipped into the health care law are another example of how those statists who rule consider themselves a privileged class, imposing burdens on the country that they will not accept themselves. Candidates for office in 2010 should pledge to close these and other loopholes in the law that impose unequal burdens and create exclusive privileged classes in America. Meanwhile, we await Mr. Obama's explanation why if his "historic" health care law is so great for America, it's not good enough for him and his family.

www.washingtontimes.com...

no wonder i call him Øbama...with a big Nought!

reply to post by marg6043


Thanks for the info, Marg. Let's do all we can to get the truth about this bill circulated. I think those who are happy with it being passed will wake up once they realize what a piece of #$%@ this bill really is and will rightfully be mad as hell.

But what do I know? Anyone trying to expose the truth about the bill is a right-wing Republican neo-con who just wants all Democrats to fail, right?

reply to post by sos37


Congress is so full of crap that they are using the bill to get into each other for political gain.

The damage done to the nation with this bill is not of their concern because they are in the top wealthy in the nation that doesn't need stinky health care reform.

And yes like Udio said the bill is to monitor the population into buying private insurance by mandate but what they don't tell is that premiums and the kind of care they will be offering is not monitored that means you will be buying their goods by forced and be stuck with over the pocket expenses that are not included unless you want a more expensive bill, people will be having insurance that they will not be able to afford to used like in Massachusetts

What a joke.

reply to post by marg6043


Some of those things basic economics prevents them from doing.

For example, in a private insurance market, forcing companies to accept pre-existing conditions leads to an unsustainable business model.

It wouldn't work - unless - those same insurance companies were allowed to pass this mandated cost on to other consumers.

So it can't work both ways. It is economically impossible to impose pre-existing conditions on an insurance company and then impose rate limits at the same time.

The company would go bankrupt.

If the government wanted to do something positive, they could encourage the charity of doctors to cover these conditions by allowing them to write all their charity care off completely - because charity is the only thing that can help people in those kinds of situations without destroying the market.

Prior to the days of medicare and medicaid, medical charity work made up a huge portion of the medical market. Today, the number of charity hospitals has dwindled down to nothing. All thanks to our criminal government colluding with criminal insurance and pharmaceuticals.

Government care for the poor has wiped out the thriving charity work.

reply to post by mnemeth1


If you have time read what is been going on in Congress with the amendments for the last 20 hours.

They are turning the entire HCR into nothing but a joke played at our expenses.

We will have to deal with once again the incompetence of a Government that is run by corporate power.

George Orwell is right.

Everyone is equal. Some are more equal than others.

I can't find the specific paragraph that says any of that...I've only seen that it's on 'page 158'. But govtrack and THOMAS don't have pages, they show the full bill. Anyone care to help me out with that?

reply to post by links234


There is where the deceptions comes, the bill you see on the net is the Baucus bill the bill that was written mostly by private insurance lawyers.

The house bill and the senate bill suppousely will be merged.

None of the bills regulate private insurance premiums

The final bill is not up yet because is been worked on it by congress and putting the final touches, the links I posted is what is coming out of the meetings right now.

So far the final bill is not where to be found yet.

This link shows what the two bills that are to be consolidated talks about, and how the promises that Obama told the people are compare to what the bill have and don't have.

FDL Fact Sheet: The Truth About the Health Care Bill

firedoglake.com...





[edit on 25-3-2010 by marg6043]

reply to post by marg6043


hi there,

but, according to Øbama (last evening MSM TV) the health insurance industry is 'Now' limited to a 3% profit...as the other 97% of costs are 'Required', 'mandated' to go toward the healthcare needs of the recipient rather than the companies, or executives' bonuses.

Is Øbama deluded...is he correct?, or does he only imagine the HCR law has that stipulation?


hmmm

i can see that what your focusing on is there's "NO Regulating the Premiums", and indeed by using creative accounting techniques, the HealthInsurance industry can 'technically' limit themselves to a 3% profit, but stll rake in an effective 10% of the premiums as infrastructure
costs & be legal.
I've never heard of that 3% limit before the Øbama mention last evening.





sidebar:
Duke-vs-Oh St...my hooters bracket

Bumping this - this needs to be at the top for a while. Also Star and Flag. The creation of separate "classes" in the bill is appalling.

Any of you folks who favor the bill have anything to add on this? Can you see any logic as to why they would make it this way?

reply to post by St Udio


Obama can say anything he wants to make the people believe that he is regulating the insurance businesses,

But, he forgot that the Baucus bill that is actually the one that was written by the insurance companies doesn't regulate a darn thing.

The original Senate Finance Committee bill was authored by a former Wellpoint VP. Since Congress released the first of its health care bills on October 30, 2009,

This bill does not limit insurance company rate hikes. Private insurers continue to be exempt from anti-trust laws

The Max Tax: Baucus Plan Fails to Control Growth of Insurance Premiums

Democrats have shied away from regulating premiums in the face of charges from business leaders and Republicans that controlling what insurers charge would be meddling too much in the private sector.

As a result, while states have long supervised what companies charge for mandated automobile and homeowners insurance, the idea has been largely banished from the health care debate. . . .

Nor are lawmakers seriously considering any proposals to regulate what doctors, hospitals, drug makers and other health care providers charge — a strategy used by several European countries to control health care spending

fdlaction.firedoglake.com...

And on top of that I just found out this

Health care reform fallout: Which states are the winners?

It seems Medicare is to become the biggest insurer of the poor in the US.

Under the nation’s health care reform plan, the nation’s Medicaid system will grow as one of the main organizations to implement the goal of expanded medical coverage.

But it appears that, from a financial standpoint, some states will be winners and some will be losers in this new arrangement.

Here's a look at why some states may stand to benefit. Later today, the Monitor will look at other states, which are complaining that it will cost their taxpayers a lot more money in the future.