This press release from Congressman Randy Hultgren addresses the Obamacare Cadillac tax due to be imposed on McHenry County employees under contracts now being approved, if it is imposed. It has strong opposition from unions with excellent health coverage.
Hultgren: Democrats Now Supporting GOP Repeal of ACA Health Tax
Washington, DC — U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) today welcomed the support of nine Democrat Senators, including presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, to repeal the “Cadillac” tax on high-cost health plans embedded in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
As Rep. Hultgren wrote in a letter to the editor, the new tax on high-cost health plans burdens employers: “If they don’t change their coverage, more than 50 percent of employers will risk triggering the 40 percent tax in the next seven years.” This session, Rep. Hultgren has cosponsored H.R.879, the Ax the Tax on Middle Class Americans’ Health Plans Act, which would repeal such taxes on health plans.
Randy Hultgren
“Forcing Americans to buy health insurance plans, and then taxing those same plans, has been an exercise in governmental mismanagement since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law,” said Rep. Hultgren.
“Americans should have the freedom to choose what health plan serves them and their families best without fear of the government slamming them with added costs.
“I am glad Senate Democrats, who helped pass the ACA into law before I entered in Congress, finally agree.
“I similarly urge the House to act on my State Health Care Options Act to allow states the freedom and flexibility to pursue their own health insurance possibilities.”
Rep. Hultgren has introduced H.R. 3352, the State Health Care Options Act of 2015,as a response to dramatically escalating health care costs, including an expected 30 percent increase for some plan participants in Illinois next year, which the ACA was intended to address.
The refusal of Union members to pay Cadillac Tax results in a Yugo Tax on non-Union citizens who must bear the sole burden of paying for the ever-higher costs of ACA Plan coverage.
The most morally troubling aspect to me is that teachers and government officials refuse to question the value of healthcare ‘benefit’ they are receiving for the price they are forcing the public to pay.
ACA plan exchange (Healthcare.gov) provides an easy means of comparison as to premiums and allowed medical benefits.
From what I have seen, it looks like all public employees could be given vouchers for Gold or Platinum Plans on the ACA exchange and save the public about 40% of the cost it is charging taxpayers.
Only those employees (who are protected and rewarded with extraordinary unique legal protections and privileges) can effectively cause change in status quo.
Only they can take a few moments to login to Healthcare.gov, plug in a few variables anonymously, and discover that they are paying (well not THEY, but SOMEBODY is paying)crazy high dollars for…what?
Can any of these teachers or County Board Members tell whether they are covered for a four-lead or single chamber pacemaker?
Or whether they are covered for oncology biologics, cancer immunology, or just old-tech chemo and radiation treatments)?
Do these individuals feel that it is not worth an hour or two effort to investigate the comparison pricing on health care finance plans (aka health insurance) in order to benefit their suffering fellow Americans?
Why do they have such a deep contempt and indifference for all the American citizens forced to pay for the right for them to stunningly, staggeringly overpay third party administrators and managers (NOT doctors and nurses!!!)for overpriced healthcare finance plans???
Well Susan fight for medicare for all which is what Bernie Sanders really advocates. This would take the 30% of profits and administrative costs for healthcare insurance companies and reduce it to 3% administrative costs which is what Medicare pays. Insurance companies could still sell insurance for copays etc and for Cadillac plans with cosmetic surgery, etc.
Also I am happy Hultgren brought this up because there have been no proposals by republicans to improve the ACA plan.
Sanders also brought up a bill that Medicare drugs be given a discount for being bought in bulk like discounts given to the military for buying in bulk.
Sanders for President.
The main reason that Medicare has relatively low administrative costs is that, unlike the private health insurance companies, they provide very little oversight over bogus billings.
Medicare fraud is rampant, and it costs the taxpayers tens of billions every year.
I don’t believe you can get a voucher for the ACA marketplace if your employer provides coverage…
Besides that would only shift the burden from local tax dollars to federal tax dollars.
Correct?
The product provided by employer (school district, paid by taxpayers)is VERY overpriced.
I am suggesting that employees of school s(and local governments) are being sociopathically indifferent to the severe distress of taxpayers by not taking a few minutes to compare benefits received to price paid (by others on their behalf),
and making the point to their Union Masters that hey, we are not inclined to destroy our fellow townspeople so that a few Plan Administrators and Third Party Payment industry CEOs can amass great fortunes.
Compare ACA Plans to cost of County Board Plans for example.
If the County Board (and all teachers and other public employees ) were given the same deal as US Congress:
a voucher for an ACA Exchange Plan, or go buy your own at your own expense.
taxpayers would save (by my estimates) over 30%.
And I am asking the recipients of those Cadillac Plans to check the benefits to understand whether they are being promised any greater benefits than ACA Exchange Gold or Platinum Plans.
I do not think that they are.
As to shifting burdens:
The ACA is financed by ALL taxpayers…as long as Union member agree to pay their fair share for publicly financed overpriced Cadillac Plans.
Unless Unions are forced to pay fair share for overpriced Cadillac Plans, the burden for All ACA shifts onto self-employed individuals, and unemployed people forced to buy insurance or pay 2.5% tax not to.
There are all sorts of costs involved in rolling out the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and one wonders the accuracy of the cost projections during cost justification at the Federal Congressional and Presidential levels.
Many public school districts in the Chicago area are notorious for handing out very generous benefits and hiding many of them from taxpayers including hiding benefits under the “other benefits” section of the administrator and teacher salary and benefit report.
Many school districts set up roadblocks when the public attempts to discover line item detail of the contents in the “other benefits” category for each employee.
The Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) published an article written by a lawyer representing school districts about some of the challenges school districts faced when implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
IASB
Bargaining season 2013…How the Affordable Care Act will impact Illinois districts
By David J. Braun
http://www.iasb.com/journal/j111213_04.cfm
Digital Schools in Volo has another article shedding light on ACA implementation in school districts.
Digital Schools
The Affordable Care Act: Making Sense of the Dollars Your District Will Spend
By Craig Schilling EdD, Associate Professor Concordia University, Chicago
and Mark Bedford, Sr. Product Director, Digital Schools
http://www.digital-schools.com/the-affordable-care-act
The Belleville News Democrat (BND), which is near St. Louis, ran a story this month about how some school districts in that area are handling the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
BND
Schools juggle calendars due to Affordable Care Act; union leader questions move
September 5, 2015
by Mary Cooley
http://www.bnd.com/news/local/education/article34193130.html
If the Cadillac tax is repealed, what will be the source of replacement funding…the funding to replace revenue that would be lost if the Cadillac tax was repealed.
Get Covered Illinois is the state website to help citizens wade through various options available under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
http://www.getcovered.illinois.gov