Posted on 01/23/2016 12:05:17 PM PST by BlackFemaleArmyColonel
[UPDATE: It turns out that Cruz actually is insured and always was, as his campaign disclosed late Friday. This makes his remark about his losing his coverage because of the Afforable Care Act look even more like pure political spin. Read on, and see more below.]
Essentially, Cruz's coverage lapsed because his 2015 carrier, BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, ended its individual PPO plans for 2016, including the family plan that covered the Cruz family. The carrier decided to move entirely to HMO plans for the individual market. And Cruz didn't manage to sign up for a new 2016 plan by Dec. 31. That happened even though the insurer announced its decision to close PPO plans way back on July 23. Five months is normally enough for an educated adult to arrange health insurance.
Cruz still has until Jan. 31 to sign up for coverage beginning March 1, and he said he'd be doing that. "We're in the process of finding another policy," he said. "I hope by the end of the month we'll have a policy for our family."
In other words, Cruz's problem has nothing to do with Obamacare and everything to do with his own sloth -- unless the explanation is more sinister, as insurance expert Richard Mayhew of balloon-juice.com speculates: "The Cruz family is currently uninsured to guarantee their father a cheap laugh line."
What's more certain is that Cruz's characterization of his issue is layered with dishonesty. He claims that the new plans he has examined carry premium increases of 50% -- "That's happening all over the country," he said. "That's happening in New Hampshire."
Well, no. Cruz wasn't especially forthcoming with details about his old plan or the new ones he's examining...
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Did the Nation or Socialist Worker not have an article on this?
;-) Silly Captain. Don’t you know that NOTHING is ever Cruz’s fault?
Face the facts! Ted Cruz has not been vetted as much as Barack Obama was at this point in the campaign. He was endorsed for Senate by Sarah Palin, and that was enough for the Texas Tea Part voters. Sarah obviously took a closer look, and so should you.
He enrolled in Obamacare because he didn’t think the Senate or Congress should be exempt.
Because he is not a hypocrite.
He enrolled in Obamacare because he didn’t think the Senate or Congress should be exempt.
Because he is not a hypocrite.
The LAtte Times was much more forgiving when Barack Obama called President Bush a traitor for raising the national dbt and then proceeded to double it all on his own.
Good thing that he didn't joke about his mind-numbed voters sticking with him even if he shot someone, or someone might question his conservative cred!
Well Cruz has access to insurance through the Senate just like all lawmakers do. Frankly I just can’t get worked up about sticking my nose in Ted Cruz’s personal health insurance. Its none of my business and he’s certainly capable of finding a policy. If not he has no business running for President.
And the reason BlueCross made that change, bailing on PPOs like many carriers did, since they had suddenly become uneconomic, was . . . ObamaCare.
Why should we be breathlessly trying to keep up with changing paperwork because of some socialist government diktat? Here is Cruz, dealing with the same problems that face ordinary Americans, and he's an idiot if he can't do better than they do at it. Whereas, if he didn't have the medical insurance ordinary Americans have, you'd probably describe him as an elitist who didn't know what he was talking about. If you thought of it.
Talking to the LAT, not you, obviously.
From the WSJ link in the article:
“But Mr. Cruz had in fact been automatically enrolled by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas in another, narrower-network ‘health maintenance organization’ plan that kept him covered in January. As we reported earlier, when we explained the headache on Friday, that’s what the insurer said it did for all customers in his situation — even if Mr. Cruz didn’t know it.
“Based on the information from his insurance broker, ‘Sen. Cruz believed the family was uninsured and asked the broker to pull quotes immediately for a new policy,’ Ms. Frazier said. ‘The Cruz family is currently covered by a Blue Cross HMO.’
DONALD TRUMP is going to be the next POTUS! HOORAY!
;-) Silly Captain. Don’t you know that NOTHING is ever Cruz’s fault?
Why should Cruz or I have to be slotted into an enrollment period?
Isn’t this a “capitalist” country...Why can’t I take my money and buy a policy when and where I want?
I remember in the previous election when Rick Santorum had to leave the campaign trail to go home and do his taxes on home computer. He may have thought he was scoring points with the rank and file but I was not impressed. I don't want my president having to fire up TurboTax and type in figures off his W-2 form. That seems so minor league for a presidential candidate.
I just got an envelope from Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Says IMPORTANT TAX INFORMATION on the outside ... ????
So I guess it is not one of the 95% junk mails I get.
Well, it’s my 1095, to prove that I had proper ins for 2015.
I’m just about to start my taxes, and this year is is up to me to get forms, 1099, etc. on-line, etc. Extra work. Never would have even looked for any 1095; never heard of one before.
I got real steamed up. Why the XXXXXXX (User can fill in appropriate level of invective) do I need this extra piece of paper to stay out of jail?
And extra work for Blue/Blue to send these out.
Just One Man’s story.
But all I ever see here are dishonest attack pieces. Like this one.
We have friends who are in the same situation. They have been looking for months and months for insurance coverage. Their son has a potentially life threatening disease that requires very specialized doctors, pharmacy and treatment coverage etc. It is next to impossible to find a plan that has he coverage they need.
It is speculation to assume that Cruz doesn’t have coverage yet because of “sloth”. You have no idea what efforts have and have not been made to find adequate insurance coverage for his family and it is not right to say things that you have no proof about.
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