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speechlesstx · May 20, 2011, 08:09 AM

After another round of Obamacare waivers, we have what's perhaps the most hypocritical waiver granted... AARP.

The Daily Caller has learned that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rate review rules, which it finalized on Thursday, exempt “Medigap” policy providers, like the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), from oversight when such providers increase payment rates for their supplemental insurance plans.

Insurance providers who aren’t exempt from Obamacare’s rate review rules are required to publicly release and explain some health care payment rate increases.

The AARP is the nation’s biggest seller of Medigap policies, or supplemental healthcare plans that add onto what Medicare won’t cover for seniors. The senior citizens interest group advocated for Obamacare to include an attack on Medigap policies’ biggest competitor, Medicare Advantage.

Though the White House and HHS dismiss allegations of political favoritism when it comes to who’s getting exceptions from the new health care regulations – such as in the recent uproar over the disproportionate number of Obamacare waivers that went to companies in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s district — Obamacare critics say the mere appearance of the administration helping friends is disturbing.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius demanded an accounting of rate increases by Anthem Blue Cross, and Congress opened an investigation in February.

AARP carried the water for Obamacare and gets their competition virtually eliminated and a waiver from rate oversight. It's good to be friends with this president.

tomder55 · May 20, 2011, 08:30 AM

throwing granny off the cliff again :eek:

AARP has a whole lot of geezers suckered into thinking that they look out for the Senior's interests . Bet ASA doesn't get similar waivers.
American Seniors Association

excon · May 20, 2011, 09:14 AM

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

The ultimate Obamacare waiver?

Hello Steve:

Actually, the ultimate Obamacare waiver would be the Republican plan to repeal it, and killing Medicare along with it. It looks to me like he's doing your work for you. What are you complaining about?

excon

speechlesstx · May 20, 2011, 09:30 AM

What am I complaining about? Obama. He sucks.

excon · May 20, 2011, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by speechlesstx

What am I complaining about? Obama. He sucks.

Hello again, Steve:

You poor glass half empty Republicans...

Look. The suckier he is, the more Republicans can win house and senate seats. Then you and Mitt, or Mitch or Sarah can repeal it ALL. As a bonus, you get to dismantle the entire Great Society. That's a cherished right wing trophy..

Looks to me like a glass half FULL.

excon

speechlesstx · May 20, 2011, 10:15 AM

You know he sucks, too.

Stringer · May 20, 2011, 08:26 PM

To me the AARP has been nothing but a profit orientated insurance company for some time now.

talaniman · May 20, 2011, 09:51 PM

Nice try guys but unfortunately, you need more facts, to go with those feelings.

McDonald's, 29 other firms get health care coverage waivers - USATODAY.com

"The big political issue here is the president promised no one would lose the coverage they've got," says Robert Laszewski, chief executive officer of consulting company Health Policy and Strategy Associates. "Here we are a month before the election, and these companies represent 1 million people who would lose the coverage they've got."

The United Agricultural Benefit Trust, the California-based cooperative that offers coverage to farm workers, was allowed to exempt 17,347 people. San Diego-based Jack in the Box's waiver is for 1,130 workers, while McDonald's asked to excuse 115,000.

The plans will be exempt from rules intended to keep people from having to pay for all their care once they reach a preset coverage cap. McDonald's, which offers the programs as a way to cover part-time employees, told the Obama administration it might re-evaluate the plans unless it got a waiver.

McDonald's and Jack in the Box didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

The waiver program is intended to provide continuous coverage until 2014, when government-organized marketplaces will offer insurance subsidized by tax credits, says HHS spokeswoman Jessica Santillo.

The regulations would have hit some insurance plans for young adults in the universal coverage program run by the state of Massachusetts. The program, enacted in 2006, has a plan for individuals ages 18 to 26 who can't get coverage through work, covering about 5,000 people. The waiver obtained by the state "will give us time to implement the transition plan in a manner designed to mitigate premium increases," says **** Powers, a spokesman for the state program.

The biggest single waiver, for 351,000 people, was for the United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund, a New York union providing coverage for city teachers. The waivers are effective for a year and were granted to insurance plans and companies that showed that employee premiums would rise or that workers would lose coverage without them, Santillo says.

Seems to me that they knew people and companies would need time to get those exchanges going and effective so they had a stop gap to bridge those who would fall between the cracks.

Now while its true many states and companies are applying for the waiver, the president did say that govenors could have waivers for their states, as long as they used them to come in compliance with the federal standard. He actually challenged them to come up with a better plan at the White House Govenors Luncheon. Have we forgotten that 300 of the republican amendments went into "Obamacare"?

Like I said, lets get the facts and not just the feelings.

tomder55 · May 21, 2011, 02:24 AM

To me the AARP has been nothing but a profit orientated insurance company for some time now.

The House Ways and Means Committee estimated that Obamacare would produce a billion dollar windfall for AARP.
http://waysandmeans.house.gov/Upload...DF_3_29_11.pdf

Tal,

So AARP ,one of the leading movers of Obamacare mandates asking for waivers doesn't appear to be even slightly hypocritical to you ? Amazing .The biggest proponents of ObamaCare are getting exemptions from participation and making a fortune from it.

The truth is that the selling point that Obamacare would allow you to keep your current health insurance was a complete distortion of the plan . If they have to set up health exchanges then they are not keeping their own plan... they are being forced to change them. Forget about individuals who are self insured. None of them are getting waivers. So much for the promise.

If you don't think this is payoff and favoritism then consider that 50% of waivers have been granted to unionized businesses even though union work only represents 12 % of the work force. Consider that 20% of the waivers have been granted to a single Congressional district.....Madame Mimi Pelosi's . Health Care Law | San Francisco | Nancy Pelosi | The Daily Caller
Among the States getting waivers is Harry Reid's Nevada .Nevada secures partial waiver from federal health care law - Monday, May 16, 2011 | 5:08 p.m. - Las Vegas Sun

talaniman · May 21, 2011, 10:38 AM

Actually the list of groups is a rapidly rising 230 waivers granted. One key source of this rising number is the insurance companies themselves raising premiums at such a rapid rate. But a fact we forget, they were raising premium rates well before the discussion began on health care, which is the whole crux of the matter. We all were getting priced out of the market. Some were getting thrown out or have we forgotten those pesky "pre existing conditions"?

The next two years will be a good key as to what works, and what doesn't, as the way Republican, and Democratic Governors administers its own states brand of health care policy. The results will be interesting as far as costs, and who gets rich, and who gets treated effectively.

speechlesstx · May 23, 2011, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by talaniman

Actually the list of groups is a rapidly rising 230 waivers granted.

230? Try 1,372 so far.

talaniman · May 23, 2011, 08:17 AM

What's wrong with waivers to give flexibility and options to those caught in transition? At the White House Governors Luncheon, BHO, said he would grant as many waivers as was needed, on an accelerated pace.

tomder55 · May 23, 2011, 08:25 AM

Good.. grant everyone waivers and start over . It isn't even settled that the mandates are Constitutional . Why not suspend implementing and constructing the bureaucracy if that is still an open question ?

excon · May 23, 2011, 08:32 AM

Hello again, Steve:

When I first encountered the "tax code", I was surprised to find that the first volume was waivers. These are SPECIFIC waivers too, like the Exxon Corporation is exempt from paying such and such taxes. There's NO explanation. There's just the exemptions. There's a book full of 'em.

So, what the government DOES, is pass laws, then secretly say who ISN'T covered by the law they just passed.

Do these waivers bother me? Not so much. But, repealing Obamacare and ending Medicare as we know it, is an over the top response to a couple a waivers, doncha think?

excon

talaniman · May 23, 2011, 08:42 AM

Your bureaucracy is another's opportunity, and maybe you are happy with the way things work, but many are not. Most are not, so we keep moving forward despite the obstacles. You may give homage to the corporate gods to do the right thing, but I do not, so we strive to do better. When they come for your freedom, then you will understand that change is a necessary thing.