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In 2014 when the ACA is in full force Congress is required to use it.?? See p 81
"3D MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN THE EXCHANGE.-
???????? (i)?? REQUIREMENT.- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, after the effective date of this subtitle, the only health plans that the Federal Government may make available to Members of Congress and congressional staff with respect to their service as a Member of Congress or Congressional staff shall be health plans that are_
???????? (I) created under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act); or
???????? (II) offered through an Exchange established under this Act (or an amendment made by this Act)."
Also see .
??
We are the ones not allowed to use the Exchanges because we have private insurance that meets the requirements, unless IBM drops it.
??????

--- On Sat, 12/29/12, KenSP@... <KenSP@...> wrote:


From: KenSP@... <KenSP@...>
Subject: Re: [ibmpensionissues] Re: Health care law(PPACA) may help Baby Boomers
To: ibmpensionissues@...
Date: Saturday, December 29, 2012, 12:34 PM



??



I think that you are listening to the liberal press or people who hold a liberal point of view and the site you quote is known to be liberal. I consider myself a moderate but because I am in my 70's this issue is one I follow closely.

Here is a quote from the government publication on the issue of FEHB versus Medicare and why people say that Congress and the President are exempt from ACA

"It will almost always be to your advantage to keep your current FEHB coverage without any changes. The exception is for those with limited incomes and resources who may qualify for Medicare's extra help with prescription drug costs. Contact your benefits administrator or your FEHB Program insurer for information about your FEHB coverage before making any changes."

Does that sound like Medicare is a better plan than FEHB coverage.

A majority of the States have refused to set up the required insurance exchanges. The Federal Government now must set up and pay for the creation of these exchanges. Do you believe that they will be setup by 2014? Given the current financial situation, do you think that the House would approve this expenditure and grow the government. In the real world and not the theoretical world, I believe it will be years before Congress or the President will be forced to buy insurance on a state exchange since none exist. Time will tell which one of us is correct.

Do you know of anyone who has FEHB and is 65 electing to take Medicare rather than keeping their FEHB current insurance.?? If IBM offered you a choice, their plan or Medicare would you chose Medicare? I would not since many doctors in the New York Area do not accept Medicare since Medicare's reimbursement rate is the lowest in the insurance industry. I and my wife did not have a problem finding a doctor when we had IBM employee medical coverage but now we do have some issues.

Please Note:?? My brother worked for and retired from working for the federal government, my mother was in the teachers' union when she retired, and I retired from IBM. My mother had the best medical retirement plan, followed by my brother, and then my Medicare and IBM retiree coverage.

Medicare is better than nothing especially since IBM can cancel retiree healthcare insurance anytime it wishes.

Nothing more need be said.?? Believe what you want. Our beliefs and opinions are based on our personal life experiences. You have yours and I have mine.

Regards??
An IBM Retiree



----- Original Message -----
From: edward_berkline
Date: Saturday, December 29, 2012 9:43 am
Subject: [ibmpensionissues] Re: Health care law(PPACA) may help Baby Boomers
To: ibmpensionissues@...

Congress and the President are exempt from ACA and therefore

are

more equal then other US citizens when it comes to healthcare.
Would the law have passed if they knew it would be applied to them
and their family?

You've been falling for too much of the right wing-nut
propaganda about the ACA.



or


exempted-from-obamacare/

excerpt:

So, here's the real deal ?€" As things currently stand, Members of
Congress and their staff, until 2014, will continue to
participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program
(FEHBP). This program, considered among the best in the nation,
allows federal employees- including Members of Congress and
their staff- to choose from a wide range of health plans and
select the one that best suits their needs. Note that the
current plan is neither `government' insurance, `free' insurance
nor any other sort of sweet deal that the public has been led to
believe is the case. The federal employee's program involves
private insurance policies with premiums, deductibles, co-pays, etc.

Here's the surprise ?€" come 2014, when the lion's share of the
ACA provisions come on line, Members of Congress and their staff
will be required to buy their health insurance on an exchange.
In fact, their choices will be even more limited than our own.
While it is expected that some 24 million people will elect to
purchase their health care policy on a state run exchange, we
are not required by law to do so. Members of Congress and their
staff, however, must buy their insurance in this way.

--- In ibmpensionissues@..., KenSP@ wrote:

Perhaps, the government with such a?? law forcing doctors to

take Medicare and Medicaid patients should also further reduce
the Medicare and Medicaid?? doctor's reimbursement to one dollar
per visit to save tax dollars. Once such a law goes through,
what rational person will want to become a doctor or stay in the
US rather than going elsewhere to practice medicine. Should we
forbid doctors from leaving the country? Other countries just
like the US will always allow and accept doctors within its
borders .?? So with such a law forcing doctors to accept Medicare
and Medicaid patients, we will have even?? less doctors than we
have today.In some areas of Canada, you have to wait 3 years to
be assigned a primary care physician.?? It is this doctor who
determines what tests you need or don't need under their
system.?? To avoid this issue, ACA, makes a registered nurse a
patient's primary care person and she determines whether you see
the doctor or what test you need..?? (Remember Nancy said you
have to pass ACA first before you know what is in it.)However
for treatment in many countries, if you pay cash just like in
England, any doctor is willing to see at any time and treat you
first before he treats those with government health care
insurance. Doctors can set priority rules as to what patients
they see first and who they see last unless this also is going
to be regulated by the government.?? -- Is this Socialism or
Communism? When working for IBM in Europe, as a US citizen I had
to pay cash and then file with IBM for medical reimbursement
since I was not covered under the European system. I had no
problems in finding doctors or dentists who were US trained.Save
your money for US medical treatment especially when a 15 member
non-medical appointed government board who are exempt from ACA
will decide what is covered and not covered under Medicare or
ACA. Trust the government.Ask yourself why did the Canadian PM
go to the Florida and pay cash for a heart operation rather than
staying in Canada?? for treatment.?? When asked about this, his
reply was that no one should tell him how to spend his money.But
in a socialistic state, all persons are equal but some (party or
govenrment officials) are more equal than others.?? Congress and
the President are exempt from ACA and therefore are more equal
then other US citizens when it comes to healthcare. Would the
law have passed if they knew it would be applied to them and
their family? RegardsFrom an IBM retired person in his 70's and
having limited income, who watches this area closely.-----
Original Message -----From: ibmchiapetrescue Date: Friday,
December 28, 2012 11:02 pmSubject: [ibmpensionissues] Re: Health
care law(PPACA) may help Baby BoomersTo:
ibmpensionissues@...> Found this on another board: >

Every American citizen over the age of 65 should press their >

congressmen or state legislatures to compel any doctor who >
received any government assistance or government loan in their >
education or career to accept any senior citizen who is covered

by Medicare.> >