In this video Gruber lays out what he considers lopsided pay increases in the form of additional healthcare options that are nontaxable vs regular wage increases that are taxable. He brags about speaking on this subject for years. He lays out how many uninsured people could be provided healthcare with the money government takes in by taxing increases in corporate healthcare benefits beyond an unspecified level. He states outright it is his favorite part of the plan and he brags about the plan being exceedingly clever. In short, he brags about all he denies before the committee in stating he did not write the healthcare plan, but boy, did he ever advise on what was written. In the video he claims responsibility for what he denies responsibility for now.
Anecdote:
The FRB where I worked is their own insurance company but they have a regular insurance company administer the plan for them. This is common practice among large companies. Of late they acquired a new company to administer all their benefits not just insurance. The new company called me at home to interrogate into matters that are none of their business. The caller, a nice sounding friendly understanding chap, began the conversation without the usual double check list of questions that assures they are speaking to the right person and that they must ask by law. The caller just launched right in with incredibly intrusive interrogation. Naturally, I took umbrage and told the caller so. I was not cooperative. I could have been phished for all I knew. He advised there would be paperwork along the same lines to follow. So I was ready.
I could not believe what they sent me. I still cannot get it out of my mind. The cover letter threatened straight up that my coverage depended on compliance.
I did comply, but not well. Half the questions I crossed out, several I wrote "none of your business." I circled the threat on the cover letter and suggested it might be time for me to call a lawyer. As I proceeded through the six pages of interrogation my responses became worse.
"Do I look like your form-filling bitch?" "Fuck you," and "Stop being such nosy cunts," that sort of thing throughout the six pages. They asked about other sources of income. They asked about skills that I have. They asked if I build websites, if I have a website, what the address of the website. Exceedingly intrusive lines of questions having to do with routines, times I usually go to bed, times I usually wake up, clean house, do dishes, cook, laundry, hobbies, and the like. All that presupposes routine. Things that have nothing to do with administering benefit plans. I wrote" none of your business." They asked for my SS# twice, they asked for my email address twice. My address they have, my phone number they have. My physician, they have all that. I wrote, "Look, you wanted the contract, you got the contract, now administer the contract and otherwise leave me the fuck alone!
They brought out my French side completely.
It seemed as if they are complying with government intrusion themselves. It seemed like government is making them collect data. Stuck between rock and hard place. They asked me information they already have, and used to contact me. So I was filling their forms for them. I am doing their work, being treated as an employee.
I am nobody's employee.
Or else this is government's way of cross checking to sort through and weed out insurance fraud.
Usually the FRB will contact as well to prepare people to expect such a thing. But not this time.
Oddly they did not ask the more natural and important health-related questions: how many times have you fallen the last year?" They didn't imagine asking, "How many times have you been transfused?" Nor, "How many seizures have you experienced?" Those three answers would have shocked them.
I cannot get rid of the anger. I just cannot. It's been a week and I dwell on being dragged back thorough all the things that make people give up. That's not how I succeed. I do not think about the things holding me back, rather, I concentrate on what I can do. I must. This whole line of questioning is damaging psychologically. It really is. That is not just idle hyperbole. They are forcing me to concentrate in detail on the things I actively avoid thinking about. And it pisses me off. It makes me realize, Dude, you really should be more miserable than you are. I'm distracted. I cannot think of each footstep as I must to stay upright. I took a spill the next day like like a gymnast. I never know how that happens, I just collapse. On the way down I calculate how to minimize damage but at that point there is not much one can do except fall as well as possible. I actually rolled and landed on my back between two pieces of hard furniture with inches to spare on each side, and framed art behind glass that I took out of storage and haven't found a place for yet. I landed on carpet and came within inches of ending up in a pile of glass shards, but I didn't because I had practiced falling and getting back up. I got up with no injury at all. Nothing even hurt. Nothing pulled. Not even the shakes that usually follow. I wish I had that on video so I can examine what went wrong. It was the first time I fell in a year, maybe a year and half. I've been doing quite well, actually. I am certain it was the distraction that caused the failure. At least that's what I'm blaming.
Writing this was good practice for what to write the FRB. I feel better already.
