Obama Unwittingly Handed Trump a Weapon to Cripple the Health Law

The New York Slimes ^ | June 3, 2017 | Carl Hulse

[E. Pluribus Unum]

WASHINGTON — Obama administration officials knew they were on shaky ground in spending billions of dollars on health insurance subsidies without clear authority. But they did not think a long-shot court challenge by House Republicans was cause for deep concern.

For one thing, they would be out of office by the time a final ruling in the case, filed in 2014, was handed down. They also believed that a preliminary finding against the administration would ultimately be tossed out. Finally, they figured that President Hillary Clinton could take care of the problem, if necessary.

Well, they are out of office, Mrs. Clinton is not president and the uncertain status of the cost-sharing payments now looms as the biggest threat to the stability of the insurance exchanges created under the Affordable Care Act. A dubious decision made by the previous White House has handed the current administration a powerful weapon to wield against the health care legislation that it despises.

“The administration should not have found an appropriation where none existed,” said Nicholas Bagley, a University of Michigan law professor who has studied and written about the issue. “The Obama administration argument that the Affordable Care Act included an appropriation for the cost-sharing payments never held water.”

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The Slimes neglected mentioning this:

Mortgage Crash Coming – Obama ILLEGALLY Robbed Fannie, Freddie to Fund Obamacare

[Liz]

ACA architect, MIT economics prof Jonathan Gruber, argued that perceived rising premium costs are really a one-time increase in 2016 to cover “massively underpriced” policies for the first two years of the 2010 law. He also said the increase “fixed” the problem because insurance companies were seeking signs of profitability and talking optimistically about continued participation in the program.

I guess Obama didn't let Gruber in on the "billion dollar secret." Probably Obama was depending on Gruber's stupidity (smirk).

"Now, I don't want you insurers to worry; when you start
losing money, we are going to jump in and bail you all out."

Obama Siphoned off Billions in GSE Dividends To Prop Up OBAMACARE

ZeroHedge ^ | April 2, 2017 / FR Posted on by Zakeet

Earlier this month, Harvard Ph.D. Jerome Corsi of InfoWars (@jerome_corsi) and a CPA "who worked for two years for a major U.S. accounting firm as an outside auditor for Freddie Mac," confirmed a 2012 scheme hatched by the Obama administration.

The audacious looting involved funnelling hundreds of billions in dividends from Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSE) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prop up the failing Obamacare program - by paying subsidies to insurers to remain in the system. [Snip]

The conclusion reached by Corsi and others is that this was probably illegal. In fact, House Republicans actually sued the Obama Administration in 2014 over the fact that the subsidies to insurers weren't appropriated by congress and won, which the Obama administration appealed.

Zerohedge and the Atlanta Journal Constitution pointed out last week, the Trump administration has until May 22nd to decide whether or not to pursue the appeal: (Excerpt) Read more at zerohedge.com ...

================================================

The Royal Idiot doesn't know much but he learned in "the community" that laws don't matter.

The half-caste misfit could care less about US laws: that monies designated for one use cannot be appropriated for another.

[Liz]

O/Care passed by an historic Democrat party-line vote w/ a massive, multi-billion-dollar slush fund that was deliberately kept hidden from us "stupid taxpayers" by self-serving Grubercrats.

=========================================

The Untraceable $8 Billion ObamaCare PR Budget---truly govt fraud at its finest. Egged on by Pelosi, Democrats slavishly voted for Obamacare by an historic straignt-party line vote.

Not one Democrat told Americans about Obamacare's Section 4002---which mandates an $8B untraceable fund to "promote" Obamacare (apparently b/c Boobamba had so little confidence in his signature legislation).

THE PAYOFF--WHO GOT THE MONEY? In 2010 Taxpayers are extorted $500 million, in 2011, $750 million, 2012, $1 billion, 2013, $1.25 billion, 2014, $1.5 billion, and, in 2015 and on, $2 billion

<><> Where is all that money going?

<><> Was cashing-in the incentive in getting the thing passed?

The sound of West Wing wire-transfers to state Democratic organizations and to offshore banks is almost palpable.

============================================

Turns out Obamacare is a vehicle for consolidating Dummycrat power.....complete w/ a multi-billion dollar slush fund financed by your tax dollar.

ITEM---A local couple called 10News concerned after they received an envelope from Obamacare website, Covered California. Inside was a letter discussing voter registration and a registration card pre-marked with an "x" in the box next to Democratic Party.

ITEM---Obamacare web site is also a voter registration site.

[Jim W N]

Apparently UNCONSTITUTIONAL isn’t enough.

[Just mythoughts]

Ha!!! Obama knew his pal lying Ryan would find the money... even if lying Ryan diverted it through Catholic Charities for all those so called Syrian refugees they created by destroying the Middle East.

[Fiddlstix]

The Best Politicians 0bama ever Met!

[Lorianne]

PPACA is a very poorly written law (even judging by their own goals). The SCOTUS almost immediately struck down one of the lynchpins to the whole thing (the mandate on the states to relax Medicaid eligibility requirements). Now this about the subsidy funding ... tsk tsk.

Guess they didn’t read it to see what was in it.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[Just mythoughts]

This nation has been scammed by both sides of the so called political isle... The worst offenders do it in God’s name.

[AnthonySoprano]

-

Obamacare is simply unsustainable.

Remember, one of the cornerstones was stopping Emergency Room use.

Emergency room use has gone up. The entire law is a monumental failure.

It was going to ignite the Economy with all the savings consumers would enjoy!

-

[ballplayer]

So the democrats were spending money not authorized,in other words according to the judge,illegally.
They were bailing out the insurance companies with money not properly appropriated because they knew this boondoggle would be a failure just like every republican said it would.
Now Donald Trump is playing right into the democrats hands by continuing the payments on a monthly basis and is going to use the payments as leverage against the democrats to get his way?Are you kidding me,they are getting ready to blame republicans for the whole mess,the longer Trump strings out the inevitable
The more he will fall into the trap.
Trump will continue the illegal payments,the democrats will impeach him for spending tax payer money knowingly against the law

[itsahoot]

I am glad it was only dubious and not illegal. Next time I get arrested they ask me if I did it, I can say dubious your honor.

[GailA]

Culled this AM:

Medicare to remove Social Security numbers from cards
http://www.bnd.com/news/local/article154201804.html

Major Insurance Company’s Payment Decision Angers ER Doctors
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/major-insurance-company-s-payment-decision-angers-er-doctors-n767766

Drug rebates reward industry players — and often hurt patients
http://www.salon.com/2017/06/03/drug-rebates-reward-industry-players-and-often-hurt-patients_partner/

Ky. ambulance service accused of lying to get payments from Medicare, Medicaid
http://www.kentucky.com/news/state/article154020399.html

Insurance companies duck Obamacare repeal fight
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/06/03/trump-health-care-bill-insurance-companies-239081

Veteran Found Dead in Car at Parking Lot of DC VA Hospital
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/06/02/veteran-found-dead-car-parking-lot-dc-va-hospital.html