What Obamacare Coverage Costs Congressmen

Wall Street Journal ^ | 12-2-13 | Rebecca Ballhaus and Louise Radnofsky

[afraidfortherepublic]

Some members of Congress are about to get their own kind of sticker shock when they head to the new insurance exchanges. A few will get a price cut. As the Journal has reported, a provision in the health law requires lawmakers to get their benefits alongside small-business employees for the first time, and that means lawmakers’ premiums will suddenly be tied to their age.

Members of Congress used to pay the same rate, regardless of how old they were, which was around $186 a month to cover just themselves on one popular plan after their employer (in this case, the federal government) kicked in a 75% contribution. They paid more –$434 – for a family plan, which covered a spouse and any number of children.

Now they will be keeping the employer contribution, despite the efforts of some critics. But lawmakers in their 50s and 60s are still likely to see a significant jump in what they have to pay, both because of their age, and because the contribution maxes out at a certain point. They also have to pay more for adding up to three children. (There is no extra charge for more than three children.)

Meanwhile, some younger representatives are about to see a decrease in their premiums. And some politicians, fearing accusations that they are getting a special deal, have declared they are passing up any kind of employer contribution towards the cost of their coverage and going it alone instead. That comes with its own price tag.

Here’s what’s happening to a selection of senators and representatives, with a look at the plans available to them.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Individual Congressmen's ACA bills are outlined at the link, including Wisconsin's Paul Ryan.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Paul Ryan’s Obamacre rates revealed at the link.

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.

[Doogle]

...it really doesn’t matter what it is costing them...because next year they get together and give themselves raises to cover it...and you can rest assure that the doctors they have now will be the doctors they will keep........

[FourtySeven]

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

Did you know there are some leftists that use the fact that they will be forced onto Obamacare “like the rest of us” to deny they get special subsidies to defray the cost of their insurance premiums? The “argument” goes something like this:

Congress gets exemptions from Obamacare! The Republicans even recently tried to get rid of this special treatment!

They AREN’T exempt, they are on the same Plan as the rest if us! Look at this to see (and then they’ll point to an article like this that shows they are indeed on Obamacare).

What they consistently ignore is, relevant portions such as this “Now they will be keeping the employer contribution”...in other words such tools for the regime never want to admit, or see, that yes, Congress DOES get special treatment, maybe not technically “exempt”, but certainly better off than average Joe working 2 part time jobs that will receive NO employer contribution to help defray the cost of HIS premium!

Amazing how the leftist mind works.

[goldstategop]

Federal and state employees have been covered by government-health insurance for a long time. Single payer evidently works since there’s been no bipartisan clamor to have them get private insurance.

But the same people that go along with this think single payer is bad for average Americans. Why? Don’t we deserve what they get? Just askin.’

[Old Yeller]

Hopefully it will cost them their cushy jobs if they voted for the cluster.

[VerySadAmerican]

I stopped argueing with left wing retards about 3 years ago.

[USNBandit]

Federal employees aren't on single payer. They are on an employer based cafeteria style program where they have a number of options for coverage. They pick an option from a private insurer and the federal government kicks in 70% of the premiums.

Single payer means no insurance companies. All benefits would be paid to providers by either the user or the single payer entity, either HHS or a contractor.

The pitfall to single payer would be that it would be like putting everybody on Medicaid. When the government decides they will only pay $500 to the surgeon for open heart surgery, then old surgeons retire and young surgeons either go to private healthcare or quit.

[proudpapa]

For those who voted for it, the ACA will cost many their jobs.

[Principle Over Politics]

You are correct. In the end, it cost them nothing.