Friday, December 20, 2013

Obama Changes Obamacare Law... Again

"Today, the Obama administration announced that people whose insurance plans were canceled this year will "temporarily" be exempted from the law's individual mandate. Here's how they're doing it -- and what it means for the law."
1. The individual mandate includes a "hardship exemption." People who qualify can either ignore the individual mandate altogether or purchase a cheap, bare-bones catastrophic insurance plan that's typically only available to people under 30.

2. According to HHS, the exemption covers people who "experienced financial or domestic circumstances, including an unexpected natural or human-caused event, such that he or she had a significant, unexpected increase in essential expenses that prevented him or her from obtaining coverage under a qualified health plan."

3. Today, the administration agreed with a group of senators, led by Mark Warner of Virginia, who argued that having your insurance plan canceled counted as "an unexpected natural or human-caused event." For these people, in other words, Obamacare itself is the hardship. You can read HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' full letter here. HHS's formal guidance is here.
Obamacare is an "unexpected" human caused event. (insert bewildered cartoon sound effect here)  



This latest change comes on top of other changes the Obama administration has announced, changes to the law, without congressional approval.
Obama has responded with a flurry of last-minute policy changes to give people more time to sign up for insurance and blunt the effect of cancellations.

He announced Nov. 14 that states could allow plans to extend current policies for a year. At least 22 states, including California and New York, have said they won’t allow insurers to extend expiring plans, according to Ignagni’s group. Instead, people in those states will have to buy new policies that comply with the law, either directly from insurers or through government-run marketplaces.

A week later, he pushed back the deadline to sign up for coverage effective Jan. 1 by eight days, to Dec. 23.
It's no longer a question of what can Obama do as president, but more along the lines of what wont he do as president.

30 comments:

Shouting Thomas said...

Since a black president seems to be, by definition, above obeying the law, perhaps we can't afford to have black presidents.

bagoh20 said...

Hey, you gotta admit it's probably the best strategy for him. After Obama has completely gutted Obamacare to where it doesn't even exist anymore and we are back to the old much better system, he can claim that is really Obamacare and a fucking awesome achievement - maybe his first managerial success. There has to be a book in that for him.

bagoh20 said...

Ted Cruz is getting pissed. This guy is stealing his plan.

Michael Haz said...

I still expect that sometime in January or February when uninsureds still can't buy insurance through healthcare dot gov, Obama will magnanimously allow all the uninsureds to enroll in Medicare just to end their insurance troubles.

That is the plan, isn't it? Single payer.

Unknown said...

All in effect until the day after the 2014 election.

Remember: It's not about the nation and health of her people. No. It's all about the glory of the king and his ego. (Barbara Walter's media messiah.)

bagoh20 said...

So as Obama would describe it, our car is in the ditch, and now he's gonna turn the wheel as the Republicans stand by sipping their Big Gulps.

edutcher said...

"Obamacare is an "unexpected" human caused event"

Doesn't that mean it's a act of terrorism?

Aridog said...

What we're watching is the final stroke of government by executive edict and the open admission we are now an autocracy supported by oligarchy.

Icepick said...

Embrace the suck.

Ted Cruz is getting pissed. This guy is stealing his plan.

No, he isn't. Cruz's plan was simple and easy to understand. How the fuck is someone supposed to be certain if they qualify for an exemption under this new set-up? Are you going to trust the IRS to interpret the rules the same way you do? If you have voted against Obama and been outspoken in criticism of Obama, are you going to trust the IRS to have the same interpretation you have? The IRS will crawl up your ass and build a office park in your colon.

No, this is more complication. New rules that apply to some people. Hell, even the bureaucracy is going to hate this, as now THEY will have to invent new procedures on the fly to implement and interpret this latest steaming pile.

Bagoh, you owe Ted Cruz and apology for that comment!

Icepick said...

Doesn't that mean it's a act of terrorism?

Sure as shit it does mean exactly that.

It's amazing how every week Obama manages to suck even worse.

Icepick said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Icepick said...

Lem, I think you guys need an "Embrace the Suck" tag.

bagoh20 said...

Isn't it reassuring knowing that future President's - no matter who they may be - will be able to make the laws whatever they want all by themselves? We have "progressed" so far so fast. It's exhilarating!

ricpic said...

And still the Republican "opposition" remains silent. Yes, there are exceptions but for the mostpart...

Maybe the Republicans find the Constitution as much of a nuisance as Obama & Co?

Methadras said...

Who needs terrorists when one is sitting in the white house lawn darting our economy with his 'laws'. Fuck this is a major double epic facepalm event.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

So.....all those people who lost their insurance and who spent countless hours wading through the morass of government fail to sign up for an expensive Bronze, Silver or Gold plan, when all they really wanted was a similar plan or would have been happy with a catastrophic plan, are just fucked?

Can they change their minds now. Or will their accounts be debited for hundreds of dollars for plans they didn't want in the first place. Like hamsters, they are stuck running in place in the wheel and can't get out of the cage.

This change is just another reason for people to wait and see what the final outcome of the Obamacare debacle will be.

You would be an utter fool to sign up for anything now considering that you are standing on shifting sands. The program is changing daily. You would also be an utter fool to sign up and give your personal information to anyone connected with this program, since there is no assurance your information is secure. I wouldn't even want to look at the websites for fear of being hacked, much less put our personal information out there to be surely used by identity thieves.

Shifting sands.....or is it quicksand that will suck us all in.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Embrace the suck. An up and coming tag.

virgil xenophon said...

EL CID, Part II. Obama as Maximum/Fearless Leader is a sight to behold. We feared a MacArthur as a potential political Maximum Leader--a man of real intellect and accomplishments--during a time when the zeitgeist of the times would have never permitted it, but welcome it from a man of nebulous background and zero actual accomplishments in either the public or private sphere..

john said...

For those who think this guy only wears onesies at home, look here, green socks.

Latest rumor has it the Where's Waldo franchise is rushing a new Pajamaboy Christmas edition to the bookstores.

When is the "Leave Pajamaboy Alone!" Youtube video coming out?

deborah said...

Will there be lifetime limits on privately bought catastrophic plans?

Icepick said...

Embrace the suck. An up and coming tag.

Not just a tag for a blog - it's the tag for an era! The Gilded Age, the Roaring Twenties, the Embrace the Suck Millennium!

Also useful as a governing philosophy, and as a slogan for septic pump services! Not to mention your local proctologist and massage parlor....

ricpic said...

If you like your poverty you can keep your poverty. Period.

ndspinelli said...

ricpic, LOL!

My brides sequel novel, Taken by Surprise, is available on Kindle.

The Dude said...

Good news, Spinny.

To the rest of you let me say this about that - please do yourself a favor and buy yourself a copy and get some to give as gifts - it really is that good.

That is all...

john said...

Who funds Organizing for Action? Someone know how I can look this up?

Michael Haz said...

John, look here.

And add George Soros to the list.

john said...

Michael, Thanks, I got that. There's a lot written about OFA but I was looking for the portal into their corporation or tax filings.

Aridog said...

John...I am more curious about how OFA got their 501(c)(4) certification in less than 30 days in January 2013 when all the conservative outfits were delayed by up to 2+ years?

I mean, it was a distinct campaign organization, an organ of the DNC, until somebody waved a magic wand I guess...WTF? It even retains the url "barackobama.com" ... but claims to be politically indifferent just community oriented?

That's enough manure to spread-fertilize about 50 acres of alfalfa twice a year.

I knows me my manure and how it is spread. So does Barry.

bagoh20 said...

"Taken by Surprise, is available on Kindle."

I'm really lazy. Can you get it narrated by Chickie as an audio book?

The Dude said...

Only in German.