The New York City prison guard union is suing over Obamacare, saying the law will bankrupt its union health care plan, the New York Post reported.
The federal courthouse in Manhattan. AFP / Yana Paskova
The Correction Officers Benevolent Association filed the suit in Manhattan federal court. The lawsuit says the union currently sets a $10,000 annual cap per employee’s family on prescription drug costs. However, Obamacare bans annual limits on prescription drug purchases. The lawsuit says eliminating the cap led to “skyrocketing costs.”
“Obamacare will bankrupt us,” COBA President Norman Seabrook told Post. Seabrook did not respond to a request for comment from TheBlaze.
The Obama administration is listening to the concerns, and hopes to avoid seeing the litigation go forward, said Assistant Manhattan U.S. Attorney Rebecca Tinio.
“The administrative-assessment process might ultimately obviate the need for this litigation to continue,” Tinio told the Post.
The lawsuit names Obama along with other federal officials as defendants, according to the Post.
About two dozen members exceeded the $10,000 cap in the past year, and two spent more than $50,000 each on prescriptions.
Obama has long held the support of organized labor. However, this suit claims Obamacare is anti-union.
“The regulators’ refusal to grant the requested exemption violates the equal-protection and free-association rights of union members and their dependents,” COBA lawyer Howard Wien told the Post. “The only reason they are threatened with the loss of their prescription-drug coverage is their association with a labor union and one another.”
