Obamacare: the arrogance of the elite

Steve posted a short piece about this today, and I would like to expand upon it.  Let me begin with the words of Dr. Donald Berwick, the President’s original pick to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

I cannot believe that the individual health care consumer can enforce through choice the proper configurations of a system as massive and complex as health care. That is for leaders to do.

Well, the “leaders” have spoken.

The Affordable Care Act requires Members of Congress and their staffs to participate in its insurance exchanges, in order to gain first-hand experience with what they’re about to impose on their constituents.

I can only assume that our leaders have finally read the law, and, having done so, have no desire to gain said “first-hand experience”.  Congress, of course, couldn’t amend the law itself without inspiring a palace revolt, so the Democrats at last week’s meeting with the President beseeched him to do so.  And, to no one’s surprise, he did.  Congress and its staff doesn’t have to abide by the law.

What does this mean, you ask?

So I did a little digging.  The Kaiser Family Foundation has a web site that will calculate the premiums and the subsidies available under Obamacare.  According to it, a family of 4 will pay $9869 for an exchange insurance policy.  Although I don’t believe that figure for a minute, let’s use it.

If you are one of the 11,000 members of Congress, or its staff, who make $174,000 or more, your subsidy under Obamacare as written would be  $ 0.  But, thanks to the President’s recent edict, the American taxpayers will pay $7401 of that amount for you.

As very few make that kind of money, let me give you another example.  On Obamacare’s exchanges, a premium for a single person making $40,000 a year would be $3018.  Unless you are a member of the elite, you will get no premium subsidy.  But, if you are a member of the privileged class working for Congress, the taxpayers will pay $2263 of that amount for you.

Feel like a doormat yet?

As Congress is now out of session until September 9, members of Congress will hold town hall meetings.  When you attend, ask them why there are now two classes of citizens in this country…not rich vs. poor, or black vs. white, but rather, Washington vs. the American people.

 

SoundOffSister

The Sound Off Sister was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and special trial attorney for the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; a partner in the Florida law firm of Shutts & Bowen, and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law. The Sound Off Sister offers frequent commentary concerning legislation making its way through Congress, including the health reform legislation passed in early 2010.

9 Comments

  1. bien-pensant on August 6, 2013 at 7:26 am

    The ruling class vs the peons — let them skip meals.
    ?
    Subsides for the White House staff are next.
    ?



  2. minako-rose2 on August 6, 2013 at 10:28 am

    Please encourage people to sign this online petition?http://repealhealthcareact.org/
    ?
    Have people sign this before it’s too late! The American people don’t need the government to tell them what to do. Please sign this before it’s too late.



  3. sammy22 on August 6, 2013 at 11:07 am

    It’s Washington vs. the American people.



    • stinkfoot on August 10, 2013 at 5:09 pm

      It shouldn’t be any stretch to understand why it’s so important to Washington for the people remain divided against themselves



  4. TomL on August 6, 2013 at 1:23 pm

    we have to pay our own obamacare and pay for theirs, Sammy is right its us versus them



  5. JollyRoger on August 6, 2013 at 4:10 pm

    When you’ve lost Walter Cronkite, you’ve lost the war. ?When will someone on the left grow a pair, drop the democrat bleating points, and actually challenge this effete narcissist maniac on all of his despotic non-sense?



  6. Vizionmusic on August 7, 2013 at 8:53 am

    Frustrating, because WHAT CHOICE do we have anymore?? Look at our moronic Governor, legislature, Senators & Congresspersons HERE in Ct?? All the time I get e-mails from great groups about ‘issues’ to ‘e-mail’ my senators and congresspeople about… to what AVAIL??? We all KNOW it doesn’t matter a hoot in hell if 99% of every call or e-mail or letter stating that we’d ‘like you to vote FOR this or AGAINST this to , our illustrious senators SMURPHY or BLOOMERS as they’re STILL going to vote with the ‘elite’… This country NEEDS a revolt frankly..



  7. Dimsdale on August 7, 2013 at 12:49 pm

    I might add that the people (vs. the elites) should pound newspaper columns, call into radio shows and send as many emails to any and everyone you can about this.?? Forget the form letters, call, write whatever you can do.? When the government of the people sets itself above the people, the America that became the greatest nation on Earth ends.
    ?
    Ram it down their throats!



    • stinkfoot on August 7, 2013 at 1:45 pm

      Liberal editorial staffs and production pros will exercise great latitude to ensure that the messages do not get heard or read.



square-obama-doctor

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