Obama Admin to End Controversial Health Care Waivers
- Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:35pm by
Billy Hallowell
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WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) — Removing a potential political distraction ahead of next year’s elections, the Obama administration Friday announced an early end to a health care waiver program that has come under fire from congressional Republicans.
Political considerations were “absolutely not” part of the decision, said Steve Larsen, head of a section of the Health and Human Services department that oversees President Barack Obama’s health care law.
Larsen said no new applications for waivers will be considered after Sept. 22. Approvals or renewals received by the deadline will be good through 2013. Starting in 2014, the main coverage provisions of the health care law will take effect, and such waivers will no longer be needed.
The waivers address a provision of the law that phases out annual dollar limits on coverage by health insurance plans. Starting this year, plans could not impose a limit below $750,000. But some plans, offered mainly to low-income workers, currently provide $50,000 a year in coverage, and in certain cases much less.
Those plans would have been forced to close down or jack up premiums significantly, leaving more people uninsured.
The waivers were established to avoid disrupting existing coverage. In 2014, taxpayer-subsidized insurance will be available to most of the people now covered by the affected plans.
Yesterday, The Blaze reported that the number of health care waivers has jumped to 1,400. Back in February, Congress examined the waiver program (at that point there were only around 900 waivers granted):
Some Republicans charged favoritism in the granting of the waivers, alleging that they were being granted to unions. But a review this week by the Government Accountability Office found that HHS had approved over 95 percent of the 1,400 waiver applications it received, most of them involving employer plans. The nonpartisan investigative agency also found that the administration used objective standards to make its decisions.
Larsen said Friday that insurance experts have advised his office that most plans that needed waivers probably already applied for them this year. For that reason, the effects of ending the program early would be negligible.
A conservative policy expert who has been critical of the program wasn’t buying the technical explanation.
“It looks like they finally figured out they were in a public relations hole and decided to stop digging,” said Ed Haislmaier of the Heritage Foundation think tank.
The Daily Caller quoted Haislmaier’s belief last week that the Obama administration never had the right to hand waivers out in the first place:
…Haislmaier said HHS “exceeded its statutory authority” by issuing such waivers.
“The first problem is that it appears HHS has exceeded its statutory authority in creating this waiver process,” Haislmaier said in testimony before the House Oversight Committee’s subcommittee on Health Care.
“The statute does not explicitly grant HHS authority to waive the application of this provision. In contrast, I count twenty-one other sections of PPACA [Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act] in which Congress did grant HHS explicit, new waiver authority with respect to specific provisions. Thus, it is reasonable to presume that if Congress had intended the department to institute a waiver process as part of its implementation of this particular provision, Congress would have said so in the statute.”
Now that the waivers will be concluded, it remains to be seen whether questions surrounding them will continue.
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Comments (85)
notmeatglennbeckdotcom
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 8:31pmRead between the lines, “Obama to End Announcing Controversial Health Care Waivers”. He’ll still do it, but you just won’t hear about it anymore.
Report Post »Codger
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 8:18pm“Political considerations were “absolutely not” part of the decision”…
RRRIIIGGGHHHTTTT!!!!
Report Post »Whostolemypig
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 7:34pmDone without any political consideration? This guy has got to be cuckoo for coco puffs. Who does he think he’s fooling? Everything this bastard touches has a political motivation.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 7:15pmALL, I repeat A-L-L must be revoked now. None stands. Period.
Congress has to give back all its perks for shoving it through and all monies, properities, etc. will be used to pay off our national debt.
The obamas AND the democratic party OWE the US Citizens FOR each and every trip taken by the noman and his horrid family AND dog. That money, too, will be used to pay off our national debt.
Any questions? Good.
Report Post »Wrabbit2000
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 7:14pmOh isn’t this just perfectly convenient. He insures every waiver needed for every friend he has gets issued then shuts the program down before he begins seeing his own political future come crashing down. Yeah, this is Chicago style politics alright.
I might have had a pinch of respect for him (naww..never mind) if he’d cancelled the program AND the waivers already issued. At least that wouldn’t have been such an obvious cheap political stunt. Obama and his friends in power really take us for total fools. They must. My young son would recognize this with a minimum of explanation for precisely what it is…and isn’t.
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 7:05pmIs trhere anyone left to leave out at this point? Oh yah– The average American working stiff gets to pick up the tab for the cronies who contribute nothing while still getting the imaginary benefits..
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:55pmI am sure they already figured out a backdoor way to hide it from everyone!! They never do anything honest so there is a reason!
Report Post »Profx72
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:49pm“I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution.” – Ulysses S. Grant
Report Post »Akbarjonnie Shaheed
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:48pmObama just went down the shaft.
Report Post »hcartexas
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:42pmInvest in Lead… not Gold…. we are going to need it.
Report Post »hightide
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:37pm“You have to pass the bill to see what’s in it”, then we can do any thing we want to do to you. Somebody wake me up. I’m having a nightmare…
Report Post »rochmoninoff
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:33pmYou mean they’re not revoking this illegal process? They’re merely ending the “free trial period”?
Rats! I was hoping that the Administration was going to make a “sharp political move” which instead would backfire by ******* off their lifeline groups of crony capitalists and unions. Too bad. You have to admit it could have been TOTALLY AWESOME.
Report Post »Profx72
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:32pmAnd Good Riddance to them! Equal Justice means EQUAL APPLICATION OF THE LAW. Allowing some people to “Opt Out” through Waivers is unfair and unreasonable. Now that EVERYONE will have to participate, the MAJORITY will realize what a BAD IDEA the law really is, which will increase the pressure. They think they’ve gotten away with something: all they’re doing is setting the hook that will drag them out of office whining like the socialists that they are!
Report Post »http://www.maverickvoice.com
welovetheUSA
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:22pmIts illegal………thats why, it won’t pass the courts.
Report Post »BConstitutional
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 9:26pmIf it gets to the Supreme Court, and they follow the law of the land, waivers won’t matter.
Report Post »inexiletill2012
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:06pmAnd after he is re-elected (i hope not) he will reverse his waivers again and hand out “waivers” to his doners
(people are so gulable)
Report Post »JOE
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:04pmleTS JUST GET THIS IN COURT END IT SHOW THIS GUY THE DOOR NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!
Report Post »jedi.kep
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:03pmThis dirtbag in the president’s position needs a good old fashioned beating for his lies.
Report Post »LadyIzShy
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:00pmso they are stopping it now and it has nothing to do with politics? yeah right and I was born on Mars..
Report Post »angelcat
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:57pmI guess this means that all the Democrat contributers and bribes have been paid off now, right?
Report Post »Fight for America
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:48pmSo he’s going to remove the waiver after all of them went through for his supporters? How “kind” of him to take care of his own.
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on June 18, 2011 at 5:42pmHey lay off! My wifes teacher ‘s union got a waiver 2 weeks ago. I would like to thank the President. Harry and Nancy. Our insurence is $154.00 a month for both of us. It was nearly $600.00 if I had gotten it thru my job – non – union.
Report Post »ARealCharliesAngel
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:47pmWhat a joke!!!
Report Post »Theleftisda
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:47pmno new applications for waivers will be considered after Sept. 22
Report Post »That’s because they will all be approved by then.
Crawfish Festival
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:45pm1,400 WAIVERS for OBAMACARE?
There should have been NO waivers at ALL.
REPEAL OBAMACARE……….IMPEACH OBAMA!!
Obama is a RADICAL, of MUSLIM faith posing as a Fake Christian.
Report Post »RepubliCorp
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:48pmThe unions backed it and then they opt-out on obamacare
Report Post »Isn’t that precious
MIBUGNU2
Posted on June 18, 2011 at 6:47pmThis is NOT a JOKE, This is total abuse of POWER !!!!
STOP THIS WITH “TERM LIMITS”
Pelosi has been sucking on this tit since 1987
Report Post »Rangel…………………………………………..1971
Just an example, there are many more that
have been there too long.. Power =Courruption !!!
They are not working for US, you can be sure…
They are working for their next re-election..
cloudsofwar
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:44pmIf BO is reelected you bet the waivers will end.
Report Post »sm29
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:08pmThe piggish power grabs by our leaders need to be reversed. We now have the power to put pressure on our elected officials to repeal Obamacare this month. Let’s keep hounding our servants in Washington D.C. until it is unconditionally abolished.
Report Post »SlimnRanger
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 8:15pmImpeach Obama,and start all over with the health care,@ Snow,have you not seen pigs fly?,lol
Report Post »Devil Dog 7175
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:40pmNow that all his buddies have theirs…nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more…
Report Post »NOKOOLAIDDRINKER
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:43pmWe all knew what was going on the minute we first heard about these waivers!
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:44pmIt is more now to be nudge, nudge, slam, slam, punch, punch with nothing held back for the rest of us anymore. He, Mr Obama said this has nothing to do with politics – right, and pigs have wings and fly like a hummingbird.
This is about politics and control, nothing less and nothing more. The game has been set, and now I can see the administration going on the full offensive to break the nation by years end. Obama has to have his ‘event’ foreign made or fabricated so he can do the last steps for total control.
Report Post »The_Almighty_Creestof
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:45pmHe gets re-elected and they will start up all over again…we are NOT fooled!
Report Post »MONICNE
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:45pmWell, if its unacceptable to issue “temporary waivers” (none of the granted waivers were permanent) and the Administration changes to prevent them then they are criticized for being weak. Just admit there is nothing this administration can do – no matter if it’s more conservative than Reagan, Nixon, Eisenhower and Goldwater – that will satisfy Haters.
Report Post »Revere1
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:48pmWonder what Romney says about this? He says he’d give everyone a waiver. http://www.elephantwatcher.com/2011/06/can-mitt-romney-really-get-free-pass-on.html
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:54pm@monicne Agreed. We saw what happened with Bin Laden, some refused to even use Obamas’ name when refering to the kill. Leave repubes alone, don’t even leave a message.
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:56pmYou are right devildog7175–It’s kinda like getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
Report Post »Sound The Trumpet In Zion
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:10pmThis was just an official notice by obama for the rest of his cronies to put in their applications in before Sept. 22nd, that way he figures that enough time will have passed that during the campaign he can start claiming that it was George W Bush that issued those waivers.
Report Post »sissykatz
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:14pmThis whole deal just nauseates me. Obamacare is going to be the “End” of ordinary healthcare and Drs visits as we know them.My doctors have stopped taking new patients because they don’t know if they are going to keep their practices. That is my primary care Dr. and a couple of Specialists. It is amazing that one “SORRY” piece of legislation can negatively effect so many lives. No one knows how to plan for the future. My insurance has increased about 20%. I actrally have nightmares about Obamacare.
No one should have recieved waivers unless everyone was to recieve one.
Report Post »Parkeralan
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:16pmExactly, even when you’re spending somebody elses money you eventually run out!
Report Post »JRook
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:20pmWon’t even bother to provide the rock solid case for national health insurance that was presented by such dangerous liberals as Richard Nixon. We are so lost and so ignorant with regards to the provision of health care in this country it is pathetic. We spend twice as much per capita than the next highest country and our health outcomes and access is so comparatively inferior that we should all be embarrassed.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:26pmThey will however, create a new label for wavers, such as, Temporary Care Deferral,
Report Post »CatB
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:40pm@DEVIL
Exactly — close the barn door after the horse gets out. TOO LITTLE TOO LATE .. .where’s my WAIVER?
TEA!
Report Post »hifi74
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:41pmMONICNE
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 5:45pm
Well, if its unacceptable to issue “temporary waivers” (none of the granted waivers were permanent) and the Administration changes to prevent them then they are criticized for being weak. Just admit there is nothing this administration can do – no matter if it’s more conservative than Reagan, Nixon, Eisenhower and Goldwater – that will satisfy Haters.
————————————————————————————————
If the law was “SO GREAT” why are there waivers being issued to anyone in the first place???? Oh right because they know its a crap law filled with crap pork and it is nothing more then to pay off and help his political goons. Sorry, your argument holds no water what so ever. The man is a buffoon and his policies are drowning not only this generation but the next 3 AT LEAST in debt and rights stripping legislation. Go peddle your crap else where because we ain’t buying yours Mon.
Report Post »american1st
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:45pma obvious political move,
Report Post »but it is a lose lose for obama, issue wavers obama care looks bad for needing them, cancel wavers and the failings of obama care that inspired them to issue wavers will become obvious, re-issue them under a new name later, and they will be right back where they started (but hopefully the people will see through it and they wont be back in office)…..
MsMonsoon
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 6:46pmThis isn’t 1400 individuals. It was 1400 groups. Big groups! What a farce!!
Report Post »Eblaze44
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 7:25pmSo why is uglys mug the first pic shown. Anyone who believes this isn’t politics as usual for this socialist is fooling themselves.
Report Post »Professional Infidel
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 7:49pmDefinitly not a political decision , and yes it is a distraction for the obozo, imagine!!!
Report Post »sooner12
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 7:54pm“But a review this week by the Government Accountability Office found that HHS had approved over 95 percent of the 1,400 waiver applications it received, most of them involving employer plans.”
But just how many of that 95% were employer plans insuring union workers……..
Report Post »HKS
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 7:56pmWell, I would guess that they have taken care of all their buddies.
Report Post »Sinista MACE
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 8:11pmWe’ The People gonna do some “ending” of our own, soon.
I can’t wait.
Resist the New World Order.
Resist the Police State.
Report Post »AOL_REFUGEE
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 8:23pmThe New Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language will include a picture of Anthony’s Weiner in its definition of “Obama”.
Report Post »fastfacts
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 8:29pmFALSE REPORT FROM THE MSM, NOT FROM BECK…
They aren’t stopping the waiver, they are changing it. They have a new way to do this… ( http://www.americanparchment.com/ )
SLY HOW THE GOVERNMENT CAN LIE LIKE THAT AND MAKE THE MSM BELIEVE IT.
Report Post »Therightsofbilly
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 8:33pm@JROOK
Let’s see some CREDIBLE data.
You don’t expect us to take YOUR word for all that, do you?
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 9:39pmHow romantic is this MONICNE & EXREPUBLISHEEP found each other .
Report Post »Marci
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 10:11pmToo late Obama. We are going to be sure to point out WHO you already gave them to OVER AND OVER and the fact that NO waiver should have been given out when it is a MANDATE on the average American to fund it.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on June 17, 2011 at 10:54pmLet’s all Waiver BUB BYE to BO 2012 or sooner… I say SOONER!
Report Post »CitizenUS
Posted on June 18, 2011 at 1:25amMy thoughts exactly! Guessing he isn’t fooling too many with his timing.
Report Post »Cold War Vet
Posted on June 18, 2011 at 4:06am@ MONICNE (ENCINOM spelled backwards, cowardly liberal loser)
You really can’t see the corruption pouring out of your little socialist mantra, ObamaCare, can you? It’s THAT CORRUPT. Like you. That’s why people are lining up for waivers, because they know it SUCKS. If even SEIU gets a waiver, THAT should tell you something. But evidently, you were not smart enough to figure it out. When people like you die, the world becomes a better place for real people.
Don’t call us haters, you filthy, morally bankrupt subhuman dirtbag.
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on June 18, 2011 at 6:29pm20% of HC weivers went to Pelosi’s District, WTF !!!
The system is in the toilet Folks.. Scratch mine and
I’ll Scratch yours..This is Total Bullshi**..Screw everything
else, We need TERM LIMITS to stop this kind of corruption
This Bitc** has been in office toooo long..Drunk with Power…
http://dailycaller.com/2011/05/17/nearly-20-percent-of-new-obamacare-waivers-are-gourmet-restaurants-nightclubs-fancy-hotels-in-nancy-pelosi%E2%80%99s-district/
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 8:30amNow repeal all thoses waivers…..
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on June 20, 2011 at 9:33amYEP! I gots MINE!
Screw the rest of you!
obummer and pelosi got em for all their buddies – screw the rest of you!
Report Post »