Obamacare Waivers - Starting with McDonalds and Teachers Unions

Obamacare = Unsustainable.
Special Waivers. Political Favors.
Companies simply can't afford it.
It's a freak'n mess ... so the waivers begin

USA Today

Nearly a million workers won't get a consumer protection in the U.S. health reform law meant to cap insurance costs because the government exempted their employers.

Thirty companies and organizations, including McDonald's (MCD) and Jack in the Box (JACK), won't be required to raise the minimum annual benefit included in low-cost health plans, which are often used to cover part-time or low-wage employees.

The Department of Health and Human Services, which provided a list of exemptions, said it granted waivers in late September so workers with such plans wouldn't lose coverage from employers who might choose instead to drop health insurance altogether.

Read the whole article ... this was really interesting ... one million people get special waivers to keep their health care and jobs just before election time ...

The big political issue here is the president promised no one would lose the coverage they've got," says Robert Laszewski, chief executive officer of consulting company Health Policy and Strategy Associates. "Here we are a month before the election, and these companies represent 1 million people who would lose the coverage they've got."

Sebelius did some fancy footwork .. and some slight of the tongue ... deny/admit/change
Weekly Standard
Wall Street Journal

Whose lov'n it? McDonalds and Teachers Unions Awarded Obamacare Waiver
Bloomberg
Liberty Central - Obamacare waived for McDonalds and Teachers Unions

Teachers Unions eh? Yep.
The NEA just looooooves the dems ...wonder if that had anything to do with the waiver award?
Can I have my waiver now? If they all get it, then we should get a waiver too.

Unfreak'nsustainable.

S & F - Good topic.

So, absolutely no obamacare proponents think this is news or an event worth defending?

Did they not also see this coming?

We did.

Do the obamacare proponents also not realize that every (political favor) exemption means an ever smaller pool of the rest of us are actually paying the (higher and higher) bill for obamacare?

Originally posted by centurion1211
So, absolutely no obamacare proponents think this is news or an event worth defending?

This can't be defended. And you are right, the writing was on the wall before it happened. Obamacare is unsustainable. And the fact that these business' (and the radical left wing teachers union) got waivers just before the election says alot about the 'transparent' Obama administration.

This is extremely important.
And yet how many people understand what the waivers mean ... the BIG picture of the waivers ....
And how many obama supporters understand that this is the unsustainability unfolding before their eyes?

Everyone should be unhappy with waivergate.

I like that ... WAIVERGATE!!

More on Obama waivers ...

List of Waivers from HHS.GOV

From Forbes ... what does it take to get an obamacare waiver

Check out this list of companies and health plans that were granted waivers from the rules within days of asking. In addition to Cigna and Aetna, waivers were successfully sought by Jack In The Box, a major toilet seat manufacturer, and a sperm bank.

A sperm bank??

Well they better Damn offer a relligous waiver!!!! Because I am going to be using religion to get out of this HORSE-S***!!!! I don't beleive in traditional medicine, as I am a naturalist(pagan) and I REFUSE to buy insurance that I will never USE!!!! Also you can bet your A$$ that Lancaster has about 1,000 people who will not be buying it, as it is also not part of their beliefs, Amish don't beleive in using ANY technology!!!! They can kiss my A$$ if they think they're going to force on certain religions that don't beleive in that system of healthcare to join it!!! That is government involving itself into one's beleifs and is against the constitution!!!!

The waivers are effective for a year and were granted to insurance plans and companies that showed that employee premiums would rise or that workers would lose coverage without them...

So...why is this a bad thing?

What makes me laugh is that the Obamas claim to be concerned with adult obesity, but then the first companies that get exemptions from the health care bill are both large fast food chains?

Originally posted by FlyersFan
More on Obama waivers ...

List of Waivers from HHS.GOV

From Forbes ... what does it take to get an obamacare waiver

Check out this list of companies and health plans that were granted waivers from the rules within days of asking. In addition to Cigna and Aetna, waivers were successfully sought by Jack In The Box, a major toilet seat manufacturer, and a sperm bank.

A sperm bank??

Ya, mad jiz needs mad healthcare - you'd bankrupt all the donors with the child support on that one -

Anyhow I think the Mandate was a horrible idea and unsustainable, the industry itself is unsustainable and does not need any help being unsustainable. I wish Obama would have gone for a strong public option - no force, opt in - I need a waiver

Originally posted by links234

The waivers are effective for a year and were granted to insurance plans and companies that showed that employee premiums would rise or that workers would lose coverage without them...

So...why is this a bad thing?

Well I think certain companies; McDonalds and Jacknthebox do not cover their employees as is, the didn't us too-

Although I do know the employees often utilize welfare type care - which is an interesting concept to examine-

The costs went up where I work. We had to shop around to find a way to keep the costs down and keep the same level of care. We eventually found a provider that made it work.

If we had only waited we could have just gotten a "you're above the law" pass too?

It's this selective enforcement of laws nobody read that illustrates so beautifully what a complete crock of # DC is.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by links234
So...why is this a bad thing?

This shows that Obamacare is unsustainable and that those of us who aren't lucky enough to get waivers will have to pick up the tabs for all those who do get waivers.

Originally posted by links234

The waivers are effective for a year and were granted to insurance plans and companies that showed that employee premiums would rise or that workers would lose coverage without them...

So...why is this a bad thing?

Before you ask that question, you should ask why the premiums rose in the first place then you will know why it is such a bad thing.

Makes me wonder why they insisted on passing Obamacare so hastily to begin with. Now they are playing favorites with exemptions. Selective legislation eh?? We saw this coming a mile away before this was signed into the books. I will guarantee that this will not hold up in court.

This act of issuing waivers is illegal and violates the constitution and in years past deals like this would have been hush hush, then the story would leak and the outrage would ensue. Nowadays, they are flaunting this move in the open and it has me dumbfounded. Are we being dared to challenge this nonsense?? Really.

There are so many future unknowns with this legislation that it needs to be scrapped immediately. Companies are scrambling to change benefit packages ahead of the ensuing chaos. Disaster will inevitably result. The same unknowns have resulted in companies withholding their investments and hiring.

What good is this empty casing of a law if it can't be applied universally? Political favorites now are getting a free pass.

I will fight this to the end.

Originally posted by wutone

Originally posted by links234

The waivers are effective for a year and were granted to insurance plans and companies that showed that employee premiums would rise or that workers would lose coverage without them...

So...why is this a bad thing?

Before you ask that question, you should ask why the premiums rose in the first place then you will know why it is such a bad thing.

well if we all really wanted to be informed - the fact of the matter is premiums rose 150% in the last decade; and they are slated to continue on in the same manner for the foreseeable future.

Some projections put the annual cost at 5 trillion a year by the early 2020's - you can see that at this rate
is will be GDP type cost within a generation - Now with Obama care who knows? Can't get much more dire, I guess it could, but...

Originally posted by jibeho
Makes me wonder why they insisted on passing Obamacare so hastily to begin with. Now they are playing favorites with exemptions. Selective legislation eh?? We saw this coming a mile away before this was signed into the books. I will guarantee that this will not hold up in court.

This act of issuing waivers is illegal and violates the constitution and in years past deals like this would have been hush hush, then the story would leak and the outrage would ensue. Nowadays, they are flaunting this move in the open and it has me dumbfounded. Are we being dared to challenge this nonsense?? Really.

There are so many future unknowns with this legislation that it needs to be scrapped immediately. Companies are scrambling to change benefit packages ahead of the ensuing chaos. Disaster will inevitably result. The same unknowns have resulted in companies withholding their investments and hiring.

What good is this empty casing of a law if it can't be applied universally? Political favorites now are getting a free pass.

I will fight this to the end.

Y'all should have chanted along for the public option

I really wish you guys would have, oh well

reply to post by Janky Red


The public option isn't the only answer to health care reform. This option is failing in countries that have had it for years. Why can't we learn from this?? A single payer system is completely unsustainable in its true form.

You may be surprised to learn that there is a growing reliance on the private sector in the financing and delivery of health care in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden. Even Britain has entered into an agreement with representatives of the private health care industry to improve health care delivery in certain critical areas.

I could go on and on about the failures of this type of healthcare in specific EU countries. Its a failed model. It's a model that is failing in countries the size of Iowa. The US is different and much larger and much more complicated than any of these EU countries. Our govt. can't effectively manage anything. Now we are expected to trust them with our health and well being.

The panacea approach to reform is not the answer. This administration was hoping to just hit the EASY button on this issue. Our elected leaders should have addressed specific problems with our system individually and legislated accordingly. They were too lazy to work for a true success.

reply to post by jibeho

The public option isn't the only answer to health care reform. This option is failing in countries that have had it for years. Why can't we learn from this?? A single payer system is completely unsustainable in its true form.

Good thing the public option isn't single payer...huh?

What other countries have a public option mixed with private options?

And in fact...the public option WILL be the only option...even Republicans will vote to enact it when the time comes. It would of been a lot easier if people like you, the OP, and others that went insane about the public option would of just put aside politics and supported it. But now...things will have to get, to a degree, worse before they get better. But they will get better...and the public option will be passed down the road. And it will be seen as a "savior"...not as "death panels".


You guys need to start looking further down the road...like chess...the moves you see today are not the end goal. But hey...doesn't matter to me...in fact it is probably easier this way. All the silly Tea Partiers thought they won a "victor" when the public option was pulled out...but they are just short sighted.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by links234
So...why is this a bad thing?

This shows that Obamacare is unsustainable and that those of us who aren't lucky enough to get waivers will have to pick up the tabs for all those who do get waivers.

I could've used the exact same argument before it was passed;

'This shows that the system we have is unsustainable and that those of us who are lucky enough to get insurance will have to pick up the tabs for all those who don't.'

Waiver mania

Among the waivers recently granted were for employers like Darden Restaurants, which operates the Red Lobster and Olive Garden restaurants, for 34,000 of its workers. Federal officials have granted 111 waivers to employers, insurers and union plans, who are responsible for covering about 1.2 million people ...

Also on the list: Carlson Restaurants, which owns T.G.I. Friday’s, and hair salon chain Regis Corp...
Also on the list: Dish Networks and more ...

Aetna, based in Hartford, Connecticut, was part of a first round of waivers in September for 209,423 beneficiaries in plans that don’t comply with the new requirement ...

Holy-freak'n-cow. Waivers, waivers, waivers. Is ANYONE paying into Obamacare?
Like I said .. unsustainable.

For starters, I don't think it should be called "Obamacare." If anything, it should be called "Obstructionistcare."

If we had health reform worthy of being called Obamacare, it would have included either "single payer" or a "public option." You can say what you want to about the single payer plans in Europe and elsewhere but they are universally covering a much larger percentage of their populations for a much lower per capita price than the U.S. currently is. On top of that, almost all of their health statistics are better than ours. Every seen Michael Moores' documentary "Sicko?"

If you take the profit out of the health insurance industry, which by the way also eliminates their incentive to deny claims, you could use that profit to cover a hell of a lot of people. Single payer or a public option would have gone a long way towards accomplishing that goal but somehow they got refused a seat at the table, remember?

The only real sticking point that I believe that most people have with the new health care reform is the requirement that in 2014 everyone will be required to purchase health insurance from a "Private Insurer." I have confidence that prior to that date, we will have either a S.P. or P.O. amendment to the bill. Just like Medicare, it didn't start out as the program it is today.

Secondly, I didn't know that the Teachers union had "low cost health plans" that would even need exempting and according to this thread, they don't. www.abovetopsecret.com...

I'm a retired union longshoreman and my health care plan has no maximum benefit that would need exempting except on hearing aids and I don't think this is what they're talking about, I think they're referring to major medical claims.

Lastly, I got to tell you that listening to anything that Michelle Malkin has to say is like listening to Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh, they just don't cut it for me. Way too many false statements.