Nancy Pelosi should have known what was in the obamacare bill before it was passed...

[rudder]

She is going to lose her sweet health insurance!

The law apparently bars members of Congress from the federal employees health program, on the assumption that lawmakers should join many of their constituents in getting coverage through new state-based markets known as insurance exchanges.
But the research service found that this provision was written in an imprecise, confusing way, so it is not clear when it takes effect.
The new exchanges do not have to be in operation until 2014. But because of a possible “drafting error,” the report says, Congress did not specify an effective date for the section excluding lawmakers from the existing program.
Under well-established canons of statutory interpretation, the report said, “a law takes effect on the date of its enactment” unless Congress clearly specifies otherwise. And Congress did not specify any other effective date for this part of the health care law. The law was enacted when President Obama signed it three weeks ago.

From the New York Times
http://www.statesman.com/news/nation/congress-might-lose-its-insurance-under-health-law-557370.html


I know it is wishful thinking and the federal health plan will never drop congress, but it is funny anyway.

 

[PokerGuy]

Congress should be made to suffer under the EXACT same plans that they foist onto the public. Then we'd get real health care reform in a hurry.

 

[waggy]

Congress should be made to suffer under the EXACT same plans that they foist onto the public. Then we'd get real health care reform in a hurry.

agreed.

 

[nonlnear]

Congress should be made to suffer under the EXACT same plans that they foist onto the public. Then we'd get real health care reform in a hurry.

I think Congress members should be enrolled in Tricare.

 

[shadow9d9]

agreed.

Not really. In real life, congressmen would never be denied pre-existing conditions, denied claims, or rescinded, even if on the same "plan."

 

[Genx87]

They will never use the same system that is setup for us serfs.

 

[sonicdrummer20]

I think Congress members should be enrolled in Tricare.

Its funny because its true.

 

[blackangst1]

Which just shows this bill has nothing to do with caring for their constituants, the country's health, or anything other than a political notch on the bedpost theyre fucking us with. If its not good enough for them, it shouldnt be good enough for us.

 

[woolfe9999]

Which just shows this bill has nothing to do with caring for their constituants, the country's health, or anything other than a political notch on the bedpost theyre fucking us with. If its not good enough for them, it shouldnt be good enough for us.

Given that the bill requires them to use the same insurance exchange as everyone else, I find this comment perplexing.

- wolf

 

[blackangst1]

Originally Posted by blackangst1
Which just shows this bill has nothing to do with caring for their constituants, the country's health, or anything other than a political notch on the bedpost theyre fucking us with. If its not good enough for them, it shouldnt be good enough for us.

Given that the bill requires them to use the same insurance exchange as everyone else, I find this comment perplexing.

- wolf

OOPS! I re-read the article - twice - and mis-read it the first time. thanks for pointing it out. I retract my statement

 

[rudder]

Given that the bill requires them to use the same insurance exchange as everyone else, I find this comment perplexing.

- wolf

No it goes to show you how much this bill was rushed through. These exchanges will not be in existence until 2014. technically the people in congress can be dropped from the federal employee insurance rolls the day the bill was signed into law. Same way they forgot to cover children with pre-existing conditions and that had to fix the part about children being on their parents insurance until they were 26 (fixed in reconciliation bill). What is in store as more of these mandates kick in?

 

[Throckmorton]

Which just shows this bill has nothing to do with caring for their constituants, the country's health, or anything other than a political notch on the bedpost theyre fucking us with. If its not good enough for them, it shouldnt be good enough for us.

???

What?


The insurance we get now and that will be on the exchanges is the same private conflict of interest crap you righties claim is the best in the world.

 

[blackangst1]

???

What?


The insurance we get now and that will be on the exchanges is the same private conflict of interest crap you righties claim is the best in the world.

First, you need to read the whole thread. Second, I dont see a conflict of interest anywhere.

Rage on though

 

[woolfe9999]

No it goes to show you how much this bill was rushed through. These exchanges will not be in existence until 2014. technically the people in congress can be dropped from the federal employee insurance rolls the day the bill was signed into law. Same way they forgot to cover children with pre-existing conditions and that had to fix the part about children being on their parents insurance until they were 26 (fixed in reconciliation bill). What is in store as more of these mandates kick in?

No it doesn't show that in contra to what I said it shows. It shows both. You just want to talk about one and not the other. Actually, I don't know if it really shows that the bill was rushed on the whole; it certainly does show that there is at least one problem in it. So far as the pre-existing conditions for children issue, the insurance companies were incorrect in their interpretation of that language and have backed down. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some other technical problems in the bill though; it's a long bill addressing very complicated issues.

This one is kind of funny though; can't say I have much sympathy for a legislature that fucks up something in a bill, which has the effect of screwing themselves over. Kind of like voting a pay raise for yourselves, and oops, there is a minus instead of a plus, and you voted yourself a pay cut instead.

- wolf

 

[bfdd]

No it doesn't show that in contra to what I said it shows. It shows both. You just want to talk about one and not the other. Actually, I don't know if it really shows that the bill was rushed on the whole; it certainly does show that there is at least one problem in it. So far as the pre-existing conditions for children issue, the insurance companies were incorrect in their interpretation of that language and have backed down. I wouldn't be surprised if there are some other technical problems in the bill though; it's a long bill addressing very complicated issues.

This one is kind of funny though; can't say I have much sympathy for a legislature that fucks up something in a bill, which has the effect of screwing themselves over. Kind of like voting a pay raise for yourselves, and oops, there is a minus instead of a plus, and you voted yourself a pay cut instead.

- wolf

I wish they'd do that.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It's kind of funny to see this. We have a lot of "well it's the law so suck it up" posts. In this case the law (because of how it's written apparently) says Congress must use what does not exist. Considering politicians are quite willing to allow the "peasants" to die because of technicalities, I think this should hold. No insurance for Congress until what's mandated exists.

Too bad so sad

 

[woolfe9999]

It's kind of funny to see this. We have a lot of "well it's the law so suck it up" posts. In this case the law (because of how it's written apparently) says Congress must use what does not exist. Considering politicians are quite willing to allow the "peasants" to die because of technicalities, I think this should hold. No insurance for Congress until what's mandated exists.

Too bad so sad

I wouldn't mind if it held either, but knowing something about how courts interpret statutes, I tend to think it won't. A basic rule of statutory interpretation is that any interpretation which results in an obviously absurd or unintended result will not hold.

Another possibility is that Congress would amend the bill. Even the repubs would probably back such an amendment in order to save their own healthcare.

- wolf

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I wouldn't mind if it held either, but knowing something about how courts interpret statutes, I tend to think it won't. A basic rule of statutory interpretation is that any interpretation which results in an obviously absurd or unintended result will not hold.

Another possibility is that Congress would amend the bill. Even the repubs would probably back such an amendment in order to save their own healthcare.

- wolf

The masters always take care of themselves.

Everyone knows this

 

[werepossum]

Congress should be made to suffer under the EXACT same plans that they foist onto the public. Then we'd get real health care reform in a hurry.

This was part of the Republican Contract With America in '94, that Congress shall not have the power to exempt itself from laws it makes for the rest of us. Unfortunately the Dems have given that the old heave-ho - and even under the Pubbies it only applied to laws, not gubmit bennies.

No it goes to show you how much this bill was rushed through. These exchanges will not be in existence until 2014. technically the people in congress can be dropped from the federal employee insurance rolls the day the bill was signed into law. Same way they forgot to cover children with pre-existing conditions and that had to fix the part about children being on their parents insurance until they were 26 (fixed in reconciliation bill). What is in store as more of these mandates kick in?

When a bill is written by lobbyists in a dark, locked room, it's hard for even the party having it written to actually see what is in it. But the only thing they really, really care about is getting health care regulation into the hands of the federal government, not the states.

 

[piasabird]

Didnt she write it?

 

[nonlnear]

Didnt she write it?

LULZ

You can't Botox away that much tendonitis and not have zombie arms. Oh wait...