Obamacare is in force and the big corporations that were in Crony Capitalism mode are slowly understanding that the only person that matters is Obama. Deals struck with him, like all of his campaign promises, have expiration dates. Matters not whether much money and efforts have been expended on his behalf earlier – you’re no longer needed. From Yahoo News (reformatted, emphasis mine)
Exclusive: U.S. CEOs threaten to pull tacit Obamacare support over ‘wellness’ spat
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Leading U.S. CEOs, angered by the Obama administration’s challenge to certain “workplace wellness” programs, are threatening to side with anti-Obamacare forces unless the government backs off, according to people familiar with the matter. Major U.S. corporations have broadly supported President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform despite concerns over several of its elements, largely because it included provisions encouraging the wellness programs.
The programs aim to control healthcare costs by reducing smoking, obesity, hypertension and other risk factors that can lead to expensive illnesses. A bipartisan provision in the 2010 healthcare reform law allows employers to reward workers who participate and penalize those who don’t. But recent lawsuits filed by the administration’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), challenging the programs at Honeywell International and two smaller companies, have thrown the future of that part of Obamacare into doubt.
The lawsuits infuriated some large employers so much that they are considering aligning themselves with Obama’s opponents, according to people familiar with the executives’ thinking.
“The fact that the EEOC sued is shocking to our members,” said Maria Ghazal, vice-president and counsel at the Business Roundtable, a group of chief executives of more than 200 large U.S. corporations. “They don’t understand why a plan in compliance with the ACA (Affordable Care Act) is the target of a lawsuit,” she said. “This is a major issue to our members.” “There have been conversations at the most senior levels of the administration about this,” she added. Business Roundtable members are due to meet Obama in a closed-door session on Tuesday, where they may air their concerns.
This ought to be a real interesting conversation.
It is not clear how many members of the group, whose companies sponsor health insurance for 40 million people, are considering any action. It is also not clear if the White House can stop the EEOC from challenging wellness programs.
What, he can stop all kinds of otherwise lawfully signed Presidential / Congressional laws and he can’t even stop his own Executive Branch agency. NOW, his Executive Orders have gone limp?
A threat of a corporate backlash comes at a time when Obama faces criticism even from his Democrats’ ranks that he had devoted too much political capital to healthcare reform. Such action could take the form of radical changes in health benefits that employers offer. It could also mean supporting a potentially game-changing challenge to Obamacare at the Supreme Court next year and expected Republican efforts to eviscerate the law when they take control of Congress in 2015.
Obamacare allows financial incentives for workers taking part in workplace wellness programs of up to 50 percent of their monthly premiums, deductibles, and other costs. That translates into hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars in extra annual costs for those who do not participate. Typically, participation means filling out detailed health questionnaires, undergoing medical screenings, and in some cases attending weight-loss or smoking-cessation programs. One of the arguments presented in the lawsuit against three employers is that requiring medical testing violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. That 1990 law, according to employment-law attorney Joseph Lazzarotti of Jackson Lewis P.C. in Morristown, N.J., largely prohibits requiring medical tests as part of employment.
“You can’t make medical inquiries unless it’s consistent with job-necessity, or part of a voluntary wellness program,” he said. The lawsuits are based on the view that it is no longer voluntary if employees face up to $4,000 in penalties for non-participation, loss of insurance or even their jobs. Employers, however, see the lawsuits as reneging on the administration’s commitment to an important part of the healthcare reform.
Heh! This shows a problem when ideology outstrips good lawmaking. But look at it this way – Progressives have always played long ball and have been trying to get this nose under the tent for over 100 years – their one chance to do it without ANY effective opposition (e.g. supermajorities in the US House, US Senate, and of course, Obama) said go for it. Once started, can it NOT be stopped?
