BO today

[RA1]

For once I completely agree with BO when he said, if you want to change things, win an election. That is certainly the American way of politics.

I am hoping for many pols or pol want to bes that wish to change things rather dramatically.

Best regards,

RA1

[Guest EXPAT]

The other way to change things is to offer constructive suggestions. I have yet to hear one as it relates to Obamacare. That's what real leaders do.

[RA1]

I agree. I also am waiting to hear a constructive suggestion or improvement to Obamacare from the Democrats (or anyone else).

Best regards,

RA1

[TampaYankee]

I agree. I also am waiting to hear a constructive suggestion or improvement to Obamacare from the Democrats (or anyone else).

Best regards,

RA1

Public Option.

I have a second more technical constructive suggestion for spreading the cost of health coverage. Presently, companies escape responsibility for chipping in on the coverage of part-time workers of 30 hours or less, I believe. They are held harmless for penalties if they do not help provide coverage for this group. Thus many companies threaten to downgrade employees to part-time status to escape the penalty.

My constructive suggestion is to rewrite this part of the law so that companies must prorate their support or penalty for coverage, or lack there of, with 100 % penalty for full time (40 hrs/wk) uncovered workers scaling to 2.5% or uncovered workers working only one hour a week. Thus there is no benefit to downgrade employee hours. For every 40 hours of work spread among one or ten employees the full penalty would apply. Employee hours would then be determined by company need not company greed.

[paulsf]

I hope they get things organized soon. (Doubtful) I received my cancellation notice last week. First time in 40 years I have been uninsured.

[RA1]

Public Option.

I have a second more technical constructive suggestion for spreading the cost of health coverage. Presently, companies escape responsibility for chipping in on the coverage of part-time workers of 30 hours or less, I believe. They are held harmless for penalties if they do not help provide coverage for this group. Thus many companies threaten to downgrade employees to part-time status to escape the penalty.

My constructive suggestion is to rewrite this part of the law so that companies must prorate their support or penalty for coverage, or lack there of, with 100 % penalty for full time (40 hrs/wk) uncovered workers scaling to 2.5% or uncovered workers working only one hour a week. Thus there is no benefit to downgrade employee hours. For every 40 hours of work spread among one or ten employees the full penalty would apply. Employee hours would then be determined by company need not company greed.

Do you think it is possible that the 30 hour exclusion was written in as a sop for the "big guys"? Probably not as Obamacare was passed entirely by Democrats who apparently followed Pelosi'e advice and did not read it.

A company with which I do business has not reduced anyone's hours and, although they could save money by paying the penalty, continues to offer the same medical insurance benefits that it offered before. They consider it the right thing to do.

Best regards,

RA1

[TampaYankee]

A company with which I do business has not reduced anyone's hours and, although they could save money by paying the penalty, continues to offer the same medical insurance benefits that it offered before. They consider it the right thing to do.

Best regards,

RA1

Kudos to that company. They have my respect and would have my business if I knew who they were and they offered a service or product I have need of.

Do you think it is possible that the 30 hour exclusion was written in as a sop for the "big guys"? Probably not as Obamacare was passed entirely by Democrats who apparently followed Pelosi'e advice and did not read it.

Maybe, but by who is unclear. You and many others like to tout that OC was passed without a single GOP vote and that is true as far as it goes. However, several options were put in by the Dems at request/demand of GOP Senate and House members, in the hope that the result would achieve bipartisan passage. Sadly, such accommodations failed to yield fruit.

As an example, the Vitter Ammendment in recent House demands to pass a CR required that government workers, including all Congressional and Executive Staff, have their employer contributions stripped from the health coverage obtained in the OC marketplace (eventhough there was no problem providing it in the prior menu of insurance providers marketed to the government workers). The demand that all goverment workers get covered in the OC marketplace WITH continued employer provided subsidy originated with Chuck Grassley R/IA.

Obama and the Dems spent all spring and summer negotiating with Grassley, Snowe and others to incorporate GOP ideas, not to mention they based OC on the insurance program developed by the Heritage organization, a GOP Think Tank and implemented by GOP governor Mitt Romney.

I believe that Grassley, Snowe others acted in good faith but with those August Recess town meetings, they determined there was no point to further negotiations on their part. They would all hang together or with certainty they would hang separately.

[RA1]

They are in the apartment business but sold their FL properties before the fairly recent bust.

Best regards,

RA1

[TampaYankee]

They are in the apartment business but sold their FL properties before the fairly recent bust.

Best regards,

RA1

Good for them. Timing is everything.

[RA1]

Ain't that the truth?

Best regards,

RA1

[AdamSmith]

Oh, come now!

[RA1]

That was the timing I had in mind.

Best regards,

RA1