Obama administration may use obscure fund to pay billions to ACA insurers

Washington Post ^ | Sept 29, 2016 | Amy Goldstein

[Semper911]

The Obama administration is maneuvering to pay health insurers billions of dollars the government owes under the Affordable Care Act, through a move that could circumvent Congress and help shore up the president’s signature legislative achievement before he leaves office.

Justice Department officials have privately told several health plans suing over the unpaid money that they are eager to negotiate a broad settlement, which could end up offering payments to about 175 health plans selling coverage on ACA marketplaces, according to insurance executives and lawyers familiar with the talks.

The payments most likely would draw from an obscure Treasury Department fund intended to cover federal legal claims, the executives and lawyers said. This approach would get around a recent congressional ban on the use of Health and Human Services money to pay the insurers.

...A settlement probably would rely on Treasury’s Judgment Fund, a 1950s creation that is allowed as much money as it needs to satisfy valid claims against the government.

[Semper911]

The Obama administration gives a big eff you to Congress, and raids the treasury for his legacy.

[Semper911]

Friday news dump.

[Rurudyne]

No delegated power for ACA, no delegated power for subsidies, typical Democrat lawlessness.

[Mr. Douglas]

Meh. He should just raid SS again.

/s

[Starboard]

through a move that could circumvent Congress

**************

Situation normal.

You can be sure that if the Democrats controlled congress a money grab like this by a Republican president would never be allowed. Democrats play to win. Republicans just play.

[Rockitz]

One of the last big lies? “If you like your tax dollars, you can keep your tax dollars.”

FUBO!

[Alberta's Child]

You know your country isn’t very long for the world when “obscure fund” becomes part of the vocabulary.

[stars & stripes forever]

[You can be sure that if the Democrats controlled congress a money grab like this by a Republican president would never be allowed. Democrats play to win. Republicans just play.]

Follow the money. They are in this together.

[LostPassword]

> The Obama administration gives a big eff you to Congress

It’s a big eff you to the people. Just like 2015 Congress’s “budget” was a big eff you to the people.

Congress hasn’t cared what Obama does for years. I’m sure they don’t care about this. Besides, they have bigger concerns. The next president may not come from The One Party and may not play financial tricks like this. Which will force congress to actually do something other than going to fundraisers and giving the president a big pill of money every year so he/she can “take care of things” like this.

[Lorianne]

Must be nice to have an inexhaustible slush fund.

[moovova]

Obscure fund = Medicare.

[Starboard]

Its very disturbing how billions of dollars just suddenly appear like magic whenever Obama wants something. The congress just looks the other way.

[DonaldC]

Considering the profit announcements insurance companies have been making, his base is not going to like this.

[Semper911]

Notice this line in the article:

...Treasury’s Judgment Fund, a 1950s creation that is allowed as much money as it needs to satisfy valid claims against the government.

It's not like there is a pot of unlimited funds sitting in the treasury since the 1950's. This means they can move any amount of money they want into that fund, and spend it from there. Congress not needed.

That fund should be challenged in the courts and found unconstitutional.

[txrefugee]

King Barrack I can spend our money on anything he wants, because our representatives in Congress are spineless wimps who are afraid to stand up for the law stating that ALL SPENDING originates in the House. They lied when they swore to uphold the Constitution, just as BO lied. Sickening,

[FlingWingFlyer]

Bailing out ObamaCare already. Wow! No wonder the Kenyan’s approval ratings are so high.

[buckalfa]

" ... typical Democrat lawlessness ... "

Of course the Republican party has fought Obama tooth and nail to repeal or defund the ACA, right?

[madprof98]

That fund should be challenged in the courts and found unconstitutional.

You don't mean the federal courts? You're being sarcastic, right?

[Rurudyne]

The Republicans?

They work to preserve FDR’s legacy of high handed lawlessness while occasionally trying to somehow slow its growth.

Democrats are dangerous.

But because compromise with so-called “progressivism” is still progressivism (not unlike how compromise with evil is still evil) the Republicans are useless.

[Liz]

Oh, I was wondering when Treasury would kick in.

Obama plans to loot an obscure Treasury Department fund (intended to cover federal legal claims) to payoff billions insurers lost due to Obamacare.

"Don't worry, Mr President, the Dept of the Treasury is under your control."

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ONCE UPON A TIME, IN THE PRIVILIGED ENCLAVES OF
OUR NATION'S CAPITAL, RHAM EMANUEL HELD TWO JOBS Soon as they occupied the WH, Obama and the Chicago con artists (a) took control of the US Census; (b) Obama placed his COS Rahm Emanuel in control of the US Dept of the Treasury (oversees the IRS).

PAUSE TO REFLECT First-term Obama had tight control of Treasury; Obama calculatedly placed his then-COS Rahm Emanuel in a dual role.......in the WH and at Treasury. Obama had a stranglehold on Treasury via COS Rahm Emanuel's dual role Read on.

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THE SMOKING GUN---WSJ REPORT--On Jan 20, 2009 Timothy Geithner was appointed Obama's Secy of the Treasury. But within three weeks, the Obama White House tightened its grip on Treasury. Obama put his COS, Rahm Emanuel, in charge of Treasury---Rahm Emanuel's dual role was an unusual move.

When he got to Treasury, WH COS Rahm Emanuel was so involved in the inner workings that the phrase "Rahm wants it" had become an unofficial mantra among subservient govt staffers, prostrate in obeisance, scurrying to accede to Rahm's wishes, according to Treasury government officials. Reported by WSJ / 05/31/09

More here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124113406528875137.html