Congress, Their Staffs Face Scrutiny Around Exchange Plan Choice, Federal Gov’t Contribution
Some question if members of Congress and their staffs should continue getting a federal employer contribution toward the cost of buying insurance on the health law exchange. In the meantime, the Obama administration issues rules that would require members of Congress to buy the marketplace's "gold" plans.
The Boston Globe: Congressional Pay, Health Care Benefits Under Scrutiny
The debate over lawmakers' health care benefits has been raging since the coverage expansion was passed in 2010. The law requires that members of Congress and their staffs sign up for coverage on the insurance marketplaces that opened Tuesday, kicking them off the federal health benefits system beginning 2014. That has generated a secondary storm of controversy, over whether the members and their staff should continue receiving a federal employer contribution towards their premiums (Jan, 10/4).
The Hill: Congress, Staff Required To Buy Gold ObamaCare Plans
Regulations issued by the Obama administration this week would require members of Congress to buy one of the top-tier insurance plans from the ObamaCare exchanges.The Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the House sent guidance to members of Congress this week, based on a directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), that says they must choose plans from the "gold" level of insurance coverage, not "bronze" or "silver" plans. "Platinum" is the only higher level of coverage under the exchanges (Kasperowicz, 10/3).