Trump Goes for Congressional Jugular on Obamacare Repeal, Rauner Has Similar Pressure Point He Hasn’t Used

People are surprised when they learn that congress critters has better medical coverage than Obamacare.

The last person to mention that fact expressed outrage.

Now it appears as if President Donald Trump is threatening to remove that very special privilege.

The Hill is reporting that the President is contemplating playing that trump card.

Tweeted Trump:

“If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!”

Governor Bruce Rauner could put similar pressure on Mike Madigan and the pals he allows to fly to and from Springfield with him by simply threatening to sell the state fleet.

Would soon-to-be impeached Governor Rod Blagojevich have journeyed to Springfield to speak to the State Senate, if he knew he would have drive back to Chicago. Legislative leaders and their friends get a similar perk.

Speaking from about 20 years of experience, driving to and from Springfield is brutal.

If the Governor wants to fly, let him buy his own plane, the same way the billionaire Florida governor does.

Of course, all the partisan leaders that their friends would face the same prospect of driving or taking the train.

Illinois state legislators, by the way, are in the same health care plan as all other state employees.

Not that it is not a Cadillac plan, but legislators receive no special health benefits.


Comments

Trump Goes for Congressional Jugular on Obamacare Repeal, Rauner Has Similar Pressure Point He Hasn’t Used — 18 Comments

  1. The members of Congress and all gov employees should enjoy having BOcare.

    So should the Il Assembly, state employees and retirees.

    IMRF retirees have no healthcare provisions attached to their system, and that fund is almost 100% funded.

  2. Only the Trumpster would have the balls to pull this off, but why wait ?

    Do it … NOW !

  3. IMRF funded status varies by employer.

    The funds are pooled for investing purposes.

    But the percent funded varies by employer:

    – school district employers (teachers and most administrators are in TRS).

    – park district employers.

    – county employers.

    – city, village, and town employers.

    – township employers.

    – conservation district employers.

    – forest preserve district employers.

    – etc.

    So for instance the City of Crystal Lake IMRF fund is a certain percent funded.

    The City of McHenry is a different percent funded.

    The Crystal Lake High School District 155 is a different percent funded.

    etc.

    +++++++++++

    The funding is usually 80 – 99 percent funded.

    That is good by Illinois standards.

    However, each year the fund is underfunded, actuaries add interest.

    That interest results in the fund being more expensive from a taxpayer perspective.

    Some of the other inputs into the annual calculation:

    – employee contribution

    – employee contribution

    – state contribution on behalf of the employer (TRS)

    – investment return or loss

    – cost to operate the fund.

    – pension payouts.

  4. The actuary association recommends pensions be 100% funded.

    It is a myth it is ok for pensions to be chronically underfunded.

  5. Our sexual-assaulter-in-chief suffered another legislative loss when dumpcare failed last week in Congress. It is no surprise our free loader, sunshine blogger forgot to mention this little detail. Now let’s move forward until we get medicare for all. Tic, tock, tic, tock…

  6. A moving truck for this guy please?

    How about North Dakota; or Guam; or Mongolia? Tic, tock, tic, tock…

  7. The only way to end this is to Starve IT, Angel your Tic, Tocks will be down the drain.

  8. Regarding IMRF retiree’s healthcare.

    The rules vary depending on ones situation and the employer.

    Here are some of the options available:

    1. Continuing Employer Insurance

    A. CORBA – Federal Legislation.

    B. Public Act 86-1444 (PA 86-1444) – State Legislation.
    Retiree receives same insurance as active employees if this option is available to them.
    See IMRF General Memorandum Number 506, dated April 25, 2003, with the subject of “Health Insurance
    Continuation Under P.A. 86-1444.

    2. IMRF endorsed health insurance programs.

    3. Obamacare

    4. Medicare.

  9. Also, some collective bargaining agreements and employer policies require the employer to pay insurance premiums for retired or disabled members.

  10. So, there is an IMRF insurance continuation option offered to retirees by some employers.

  11. Ordinary everyday people who work for a living provide their own transportation and at their own expense to their jobs.

    This could be by their own private car or public transportation such as a train ride from a town such as Crystal Lake to downtown Chicago.

    The taxpayer should not have to fund the extraordinary expense of politicians flying to Springfield from anywhere in Illinois.

  12. First- if Trump unilaterally pulls the plug on insurance providers he would be responsible for every company’s bankruptcy which wouldn’t affect just health insurance but all insurance.

    That is the horror of letting communists and lobbyists write legislation.

    That’s a disruption we don’t need as a society.

    Trump will find the path.

    He knows arbitrage and leverage. The screws are turning.

    Second- If each legislator didn’t have to live in their district I’d agree they should move within a comfortable drive to work and pay their travel like the rest of us.

    If each district wasn’t so Madigan gerrymandered to cover insane areas I might agree legislators should pay their travel.

    Given travel is a necessary part of their job over and above a normal commute it is customary and usual to pay for expenses.

    Should Jack and his kids be able to skirt the laws by possibly defrauding the system several ways for travel expenses?

    All politicians do the same.

    Take each and every one to the stocks for a good rotten fruit throwing session.

    They’re all varying levels of garbage unless or until they are held to account by their boss.

    YOU are their boss and many of you don’t show up to work.

    Stop whining til you do.

    To the workers…. Thank you.

  13. I thought they took Madigan’s tax payer free ride plane away some years ago?

    Did he get it back?

  14. **Governor Bruce Rauner could put similar pressure on Mike Madigan and the pals he allows to fly to and from Springfield with him by simply threatening to sell the state fleet.**

    Legislators haven’t been able to fly on the state planes for a few years.

    Good try though.

  15. To recap HEALTHCARE topic:

    1. Legislators and staffers in D.C. enjoy Lamborghini health insurance policies with premiums paid for by taxpayers, similar to Woodstock teachers.

    2. Federal bailout/insurance subsidies will pay taxpayer dollars to private companies to provide policies which have premiums calibrated to fall just under the 8.2%-of-AGI cutoff for a BRONZE plan which exempt self-employed individuals from ‘mandate'(excise (non-deductible) tax).

    3. President has not signed executive order to mandate that Congress and Staffers must suffer under the same laws they are inflicting upon Americans.

    4. Median income earners ($60,000 in Illinois) must buy un-affordable insurance policies (8.1% of income, with a $7100 deductible) or pay 2.5% of income ‘penalty’ tax.

    5. Cadillac Tax on health insurance premiums higher than a certain amount has been repealed. Gleeful celebrations by teacher and Unions, and NO ‘news media’ reporting on the cost of having repealed THIS key measure which was considered vital in paying for Obamacare.

    6. Media celebrates ‘saving of American Healthcare’. Ni interviews with median income earners who cannot afford insurance, but are required to pay 2.5% of income–NOT deductible–in order to fund Cadillac health insurance for Congressional staffers AND 100% free health insurance at SILVER plan levels for any who choose not to work.

    7. Doctors and nurses who receive a small, diminishing slice of the Healthcare Dollar Pie are burdened with higher quotas of patients for smaller reimbursements. They also did not fail to notice tax increases on their own incomes (where they must pay for their own health insurance and provide their own retirement benefits, on top of a mandatory 6% Social Security tax obligation) to pay incredible benefits to public workers, including teachers.

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