What does a "clean CR" have to do with Obamacare? Most of Obamacare is automatically funded (77%) and is going forward anyway. Have you ever seen a "clean CR" remain that way when it reaches the Senate. Seems to me to be very reasonable that Congress has to abide and participate by what they passed. Unlike Cypress I think that Congressmen are not demigods, or mini rulers over us. They are us and they should abide by the same laws, including Obamacare, that we do. I don't see what is wrong with the private citizen getting the same year off that business is. I also don't see what is wrong with all those exemptions being cancelled. We either ALL go in or none of us go in. Answer that question Cypress, why does the democratic party want to treat people unequally. Maybe you can say that the democratic party is not like that then you can answer the question is why Harry Reid and Barack Obama that way. You keep repeating the same mandra but exercise some thought and answer those questions.
Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn
Maybe I spent too many years in the private sector and the "compensation package" concept prevents me from seeing a subsidy when the total package was used to attract employees. Executives have contracts, professional athletes have contracts, union members have contracts....and they all specify what the "compensation package" provides. Employers provide "X" dollars to fund the total amount; vacations, education, salary, healthcare, etc..........As for "we should all be in it".....the firm I retired from is maintaining the same benefits for salaried and well as honoring the contractual obligations negotiated with employees. The ACA is a vehicle for those unable to obtain insurance to do so ....if you've ever known anyone who lost their employer insurance and had to go into the Texas High Risk pool you would have some idea of the intent of the ACT. Two people, man and wife, $2000 per month with $5000 deductible. The Texas Hospital Association recently published a study that showed the average private policy holder in Texas paid $150 additional per month in policy cost to cover the uninsured. The tax treatment of employer plans has NEVER been fair for all Americans but I haven't seen an outcry for fairness. The very existence of employer paid plans has driven up the cost for all. Life isn't fair. Will some employers who have no concern for turnover, quality of product, service levels, etc use the ACA to modify their plans. Yes, some. But, during my years in management I never went to a cost planning meeting where the central theme was not "cost reduction"....control of hours, extending the life of facilities, hiring restrictions, .....and this goes back to the 1970's....it's always been about cost....outsourcing, offshoring, subcontracting.....always....a nd healthcare was always a concern....The shift to part time workers is nothing new ...and companies such as Walmart have been limiting hours to prevent certain benefit levels from being achieved for decades. The real issue lies in the globalization of the labor market and the reversion to the mean of pay as it relates to global compensation. Most industrialized..."advanced" nations have some form of universal healthcare. When I say most, I meant to say all....except the US. ACA is not universal healthcare. It is not single payer. The 1200 waivers in most cases were granted to allow employers' an exemption for one year prior to the NO CAP element being implemented. The dropping of coverage by large corporations, with few exceptions, has been mischaracterized. IBM " The move, which will affect all IBM retirees once they become eligible for Medicare, will relieve the technology company of the responsibility of managing retirement health-care benefits. IBM said the growing cost of care makes its current plan unsustainable without big premium increases."
Why wouldn't a company have over 65's on Medicare? I'm over 65, on a Medicare Advantage Plan, and still receive a subsidy from my former employer for out of pocket costs. Yet, the IBM decision, which does not dump their over 65s in the exchange has been highlighted as an employer decision to DUMP their retirees? Enough.
If anyone wants a year off pay the $95. The only way it can be collected is through a reduction in your tax refund and if someone can't figure out how to not have a refund....google I don't want to get a tax refund.