A quartet of Republican lawmakers on Tuesday accused the Obama administration of taking steps to “shield Washington insiders” from financial
impacts of the new health care law and said it should reconsider its approach.
Sens. David Vitter of Louisiana and Mike Lee of Utah and Reps. Phil Gingrey of Georgia and Ron DeSantis of Florida said the Office of Personnel Management went beyond the strict text of the Affordable Care Act when it decided in early August to let denizens of Capitol Hill get taxpayer money to cover up to 75 percent of their premiums. The move effectively keeps a traditional subsidy in place although the law forces congressmembers and their staffs to acquire insurance through state-based health exchanges in the coming year and beyond.
through state-based health exchanges in the coming year and beyond.
“This proposed ‘fix’ is exactly why the American public has a very negative impression of Congress and Washington,” the lawmakers said in a letter to OPM Acting Director Elaine Kaplan.
They said the health care law states “very clearly” that federal lawmakers and staff must procure their insurance through an exchange.
“Just as clearly, it does not reconstitute government support of their present coverage under the separate Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) as payment toward the Exchange,” they wrote.
Plan (FEHBP) as payment toward the Exchange,” they wrote.
Lawmakers have unveiled draft bills in both the House and Senate that they say would force members of Congress to experience Obamacare the same way many average Americans will — having to pay out-of-pocket for insurance in state-based exchanges
Via: Washington TimesContinue Reading....
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