Posted on 01/28/2011 4:33:54 AM PST by Kaslin
President Obama's storytellers recently launched a White House blog series called "Voices of Health Reform," where "readers can meet average Americans already benefiting from the health reform law."
I propose a new White House series: "Voices of Health Reform Waivers," where taxpayers can meet all the politically connected unions benefiting from exclusive get-out-of-Obamacare passes -- after squandering millions of their workers' dues to lobby for the job-killing, private insurance-sabotaging law from which they are now exempt.
At the end of last year, the Department of Health and Human Services had granted some 222 temporary waivers to businesses small and large, insurers, labor and other organizations that offer affordable health insurance or prescription drug coverage with limited benefits. On Wednesday, the agency quietly updated its online list, which now reveals a whopping total of 729 Obamacare escapees -- in addition to four states, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio and Tennessee -- who collectively cover about 2.1 million enrollees.
At least one eyebrow-raising waiver recipient -- the left-leaning, nationalized health care-promoting Robert Wood Johnson Foundation -- has direct ties to the White House. Obama health care czar Nancy-Ann DeParle sits on the foundation's board of trustees.
Most noteworthy: One-fourth of all the waivers (182) so far have gone to Big Labor groups across the country.
The Teamsters Union, which hailed Obama last March for "enacting historic health care reform, providing health insurance to millions of Americans who don't have it and controlling costs for millions more who do," obtained waivers for 17 different locals.
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which celebrated the passage of Obamacare as "an achievement that will rank among the highest in our national experience," secured waivers for 28 different affiliates.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers -- which exulted after the health care law's passage that "finally, affordable and comprehensive health care coverage will be available for millions of working Americans" -- saw eight of its affiliates win shelter from the Obamacare wrecking ball.
The Communications Workers of America, which sent its workers to lobby for Obamacare on Capitol Hill as part of the left-wing billionaire George Soros-funded Health Care for America Now front group, snagged a waiver that will spare a hefty 19,000 of its members from the onerous federal mandate.
And the Service Employees International Union, which poured $60 million into Democratic/Obama coffers in 2008 and millions more into the campaign for the federal health care takeover, added four new affiliates to the waiver list: SEIU Local 2000 Health and Welfare Fund, representing 161 enrollees; SEIU 32BJ North Health Benefit Fund, representing 7,020 enrollees; SEIU Local 300, Civil Service Forum Employees Welfare Fund, representing 2,000 enrollees; and SEIU Health & Welfare Fund, representing 1,620 enrollees.
That's in addition to three other previous SEIU waiver winners: Local 25 SEIU in Chicago with 31,000 enrollees; Local 1199 SEIU Greater New York Benefit Fund with 4,544 enrollees; and SEIU Local 1 Cleveland Welfare Fund with 520 enrollees. This brings the total number of Obamacare-promoting SEIU Obamacare refugees to an estimated 45,000 workers represented by seven SEIU locals.
Without the HHS-approved exemptions, these health providers would have been forced to drop low-cost coverage for seasonal, part-time and low-wage workers due to skyrocketing premiums. The only way they are keeping their health care is by successfully begging the feds to spare them from Obamacare.
The Democrats' law seeks to eliminate the low-cost plans (known as "mini-med" plans) under the guise of controlling insurer spending on executive salaries and marketing. The ultimate goal, as I've reported before: forcing a massive shift from private to public insurance designed by government-knows-best bureaucrats.
House and Senate Republicans plan separate investigations of the Obamacare waiver process. Who got one when and why? Who knew whom? Who didn't? HHS acknowledged Thursday that some 50 sanctuary-seekers had their waiver applications denied, but would not say more. Perhaps the White House storytellers, so eager to profile the "Voices of Health Reform," can enlighten us.
Indeed. Dems are completely stupid if they think they can get away with this. But I repeat myself.
It occurred to me a few days ago that the first thing a Republican President should do in 2013 is issue an Executive Order granting a waiver ot anyone who asked for one.
Bring on Issa and the investigations!
What we need too do is concentrate on the 2012 Senate race, so we can take the Senate back from the rats. If we we have both the House and the Senate, then 0bama can veto as much as he wants to. The Republicans can override his veto. Plus we have a better chance impeaching him
Obama rewarding his friends and punishing his enemies.
Guess he still hasn’t figured out that the President is supposed to the president for all Americans, not just for those who support him. Still acting like a dictator with a country at his disposal to do as he wishes.
But since he is not culturally an American, how could he know.
People who vote Dem are completely stupid, so they just might get away with it...
Too complicated, and requires too much administration. I propose altering your suggestion to the following one--the Republican President should grant waivers to everyone, unless they specifically ask to have a mandated healthcare plan assigned. That way, all the liberals will still have an outlet where they can pay more for their healthcare, with significantly reduced options.
Not if we get the Super majority. Remember the rats only have 4 more senators then we have. Not really a majority to boast about. That does not mean we should not try to get the White House back
That list is now over 700. Found this link on Drudge:
http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/approved_applications_for_waiver.html
Waving a magic flag and saying “Not if we get the Super majority” doesn’t make getting to 2/3 in the Senate any easier. We’d need to gain 20 seats to get there and that would still leave RINOs Graham, McCain and Collins (in a Freeper fantasy land we’d replace RINOs Snowe and Brown with extra DeMint’s in 2012 along with defeating 20 of the 23 Rats and independents up for re-election.) To have done that well last fall we’d have needed to win 35 more House seats than we did, plus pick up Senate seats in DE, CA, WV, WA, OR and beat out Murky in AK. It’s just unrealistic when only 2/3 of the Senate will have faced the post-Tea Party electorate to have a 2/3 conservative majority there. Now, maybe after 2014, if we can change the usual 1st mid term losses into further gains such would be possible. Shoot for 60 rather than 67. Aim for replacing just Snowe of the hard core blue state RINOs, we won’t do any better than Brown in MA this go around. Upgrade Lugar, Hatch and any other red state RINO running. That can be achieved and will let a President with strong leadership skills (unlike W) push a conservative agenda past what’s left of the Senate lefties.
It’s possible. Reach for the stars and miss. Total wipeout.
That being said, best to destroy Obama and pour over the Senate and the house.
“the Republican President should grant waivers to everyone, unless they specifically ask to have a mandated healthcare plan assigned”
Yep. Opt In would be WAY more efficient than Opt Out. And it would call the bluff of all progressives, as few of them are likely to Opt In.
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