Patterico's Pontifications

2/28/2013

If You Like Your Health Insurance Plan, You Can Keep It

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 5:55 pm



I’m a few days late to this story, but better late than never:

Universal Orlando plans to stop offering medical insurance to part-time employees beginning next year, a move the resort says has been forced by the federal government’s health-care overhaul.

The giant theme-park resort, which generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue, began informing employees this month that it will offer health-insurance to part-timers “only until December 31, 2013.”

The reason: Universal currently offers part-time workers a limited insurance plan that has low premiums but also caps the payout of benefits. For instance, Universal’s plan costs about $18 a week for employee-only coverage but covers only a maximum of $5,000 a year toward hospital stays. There are similar caps for other services.

Those types of insurance plans — sometimes referred to as “mini-med” plans — will no longer be permitted under the federal Affordable Care Act. Beginning in 2014, the law will prohibit insurance plans that impose annual monetary limits on essential medical care such, as hospitalization, or on overall spending.

In October 2008, PolitiFact evaluated Barack Obama’s claim: “if you’ve got a health care plan that you like, you can keep it” and found it . . . true.

Employees of Universal Orlando, you can take that to the bank.

57 Responses to “If You Like Your Health Insurance Plan, You Can Keep It”

  1. Just a reminder: Obama and Official Fact Checkers lie.

    They lie.

    Patterico (9c670f)

  2. This just out, threats to Woodward clarified, his insurance is getting dropped.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  3. I’ve decided to keep a list of all Obama statements that have not yet been retracted, contradicted or otherwise “expired”.

    Here is the list so far >><<

    SPQR (768505)

  4. We have a pretty witty king
    Whose word no man relies on
    Who never said a foolish thing
    And never did a wise one

    SPQR (768505)

  5. keep my health care plan?
    I got a bridge to sell ya
    The Liar-in-Chief

    Colonel Haiku (3f607d)

  6. baby cried the day the circus came to town

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  7. Donna Brazille is still trying to figure out why her premiums went up.

    JD (b63a52)

  8. universal orlando is right now the only place on the whole planet where you can go and experience the wizarding world of hoppy totter but they’re building a new wizarding world just down the street

    and I am ever so excited

    I hope none of the employees have tuberculosis

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  9. JD, and she won’t rest until she’s found the real killer of Nicole … err, I mean who raised her premium.

    SPQR (768505)

  10. Employees of Universal Orlando, you can take that to the bank.

    Have the part-time employees been asked if they like their major medical plan having a 5k$ deductible?

    Probably they don’t, but it is better than nothing.

    The threshold for requiring health care insurance under the ACA is 30k$, which is why some companies are reducing their full time staff in favor of part time, an unfortunate thing to do. The question is, is it really a necessity for them to do so? If so, an alternative must be added to the law for these businesses.

    Perry (329aa5)

  11. Simple answer: Everybody misunderstood Obama. What he actually said was: “If you have a health insurance plan you like, you can shove it.”

    Peter B (00e1d3)

  12. their deductible isn’t $5000

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  13. Nobody with a Universal health plan likes it, so the claim was true.

    steve (e7e6c7)

  14. Raise your hand if you are surprised that Peery is standing up for this whopper of a lie.

    JD (4f721c)

  15. Hate to spoil the fun with the R.I.P. thingies but Edwin Price Ramsey is still with us.

    n December 1941, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and then invaded the Philippines, the regiment was ordered north as part of the North Luzon Force to oppose the Japanese landings in Lingayan Gulf. Additional landings elsewhere forced the withdrawal of the outnumbered American and Filipino forces, whose retreat was covered by the 26th Cavalry into Bataan. Leading a 27-man Platoon, as advance guard for the 1st Regular Division of the Philippine Army, on January 1st, 1942, at the village of Morong, Bataan, Lieutenant Ramsey encountered a Japanese infantry force in the village and immediately ordered a charge. General Wainwright later awarded Ramsey the Silver star for gallantry in action for leading what became the last Horse Cavalry charge in U.S. history.

    Thought maybe somebody should know about it.

    Steve57 (60a887)

  16. It is not a 5k deductible, Peery. You would know that if you had read the article. And they aren’t converting full-time positions to part-time positions. So again, you are being mendoucheous.

    JD (4f721c)

  17. mama what’s a de- … on the internet I heard people talkin bout ductables mama what’s a ductable?

    baby it’s one of them things like when meemaw got that bunion sawed off how we had to have a pancake supper down at the church hall remember that sweetie?

    yeah I do mama but why come we have to have ductables?

    why do ducks float sweetie?

    cause they’s witches mama!

    that’s right baby now pop into that deep freeze there and git yer mama a puddin pop

    happyfeet (8ce051)

  18. The threshold for requiring health care insurance under the ACA is 30k$, which is why some companies are reducing their full time staff in favor of part time, an unfortunate thing to do. The question is, is it really a necessity for them to do so? If so, an alternative must be added to the law for these businesses.

    Let’s just put Obama in charge of running the companies.

    Patterico (180a66)

  19. For some reason the link’s not working.

    Try this.

    http://www.edwinpriceramsey.com/

    After leading the last horse cavalry charge in US history he went on to bigger and better things.

    Escaping after the surrender of Bataan, Lieutenant Ramsey formed the guerrilla forces in Central Luzon. Then came three years of agonizing guerrilla warfare, waged by courageous Americans and Filipinos on Luzon Island, fighting both the imperial Japanese Army and communist Huk guerrillas to prepare the way for the return of General Douglas MacArthur. Ramsey also sent critical intelligence information to General Douglas MacArthur in preparation for the liberation of the Philippines. After his return, General MacArthur personally awarded Ramsey the Distinguished Service Cross for his guerrilla activities.

    With Barack Obama America turns toward Edwin Price Ramsey and sez **** **.

    Steve57 (60a887)

  20. mendoucious liars
    all the president’s mens suck
    and the womens too

    Colonel Haiku (3f607d)

  21. all of $712,000,000,000 dollars – billion with a “B” – sucked from Medicare on February 15, 2013 and not a peep in the media. All of that money that our old folks paid into the system going to fund ObamaCare and people who didn’t contribute Dollar One… redistribution of wealth… this jerk-off president and his band of foppish academicians, malcontents and ne’er-do-wells… the stench makes me clench.

    Colonel Haiku (3f607d)

  22. I have but one thing to share with all of these Democrats and a good many milquetoast Republicans…

    …………………./´¯/)
    ………………..,/¯../
    ………………./…./
    …………./´¯/’…’/´¯¯`·¸
    ………./’/…/…./……./¨¯\
    ……..(‘(…´…´…. ¯~/’…’)
    ………\……………..’…../
    ……….”…\………. _.·´
    …………\…………..(
    …………..\………….\

    Colonel Haiku (3f607d)

  23. “Let’s just put Obama in charge of running the companies.”

    Patterico – What could go wrong? He couldn’t do any worse than he is running the Executive Branch.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  24. Change you can believe in. Transforming America one new Food Stamp eligible part time employee at time.

    Barrack Obama hates full time workers. They mess up his tee times.

    highpockets (4dacff)

  25. FYI- It is now 3/1/13 on the East Coast, and the power grid is holding in Philadelphia.

    G’night.

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  26. Just in case you were feeling low:

    http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-02-28/japan-food-prices-set-soar-government-hikes-wholesale-wheat-prices-10

    Japanese exports are collapsing further even as the yen has deflated 20%. Why? Chinese imports are used to make those exports.

    Greece, Spain, Italy, France are all doomed as well. Seems Italy will be voting all over again in a few months.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  27. If you think about it a GOP President probably will have to deal with the aftermath of Obamacare. And there will be nothing she can do, except to accept the blame for what the Greatest President Ever did.

    Never mind, there will never be another GOP President. Hillary will have to sort the mess out in pretend.

    But it will be ho, ho, ho time every year when the Oscars roll around.

    Ag80 (b2c81f)

  28. 10. Fix ObamaneyCare? No, you own that sow, and no one to sue.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  29. My health care is a loaded 300 savage with a model 12 back up.

    mg (31009b)

  30. Now I find out that it won’t kick in until 11:59:59.99999999 PM

    feets, no one tells us anything correctly

    MD in Philly (3d3f72)

  31. “If you’ve got a health care plan that you like, you can keep it.”

    Well, for years I’ve worked places where they changed their health-care plan on me, often going from a better one to one not so good. So I guess I never really had the option to “keep a plan” I liked. It’s always been negotiated by my employer and the insurance company.

    I can’t say if I ever had a plan simply ruled illegal by guvvament fiat, though.

    Pious Agnostic (6ff605)

  32. FThe health care plan that was passed in 2009 wasn’t exactly the one same Obama campaigned for in 2008 in many respects, good and bad. As with any piece of legislation, there are changes and compromises.

    I love it though how Republicans force their opponents to compromise, and then later cry with faux outrage, “he didn’t deliver on what he promised”.

    Kman (5576bf)

  33. Yeah, in 2008 he was against the mandate.

    JD (4f721c)

  34. The idea that the hahahahaa Affordable Care Act was a compromise is hysterical on many levels.

    JD (4f721c)

  35. If you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it. This was not a 2008 campaign theme, it was a mantra during the 2009 effort to cram the obamination down the public’s throat. It was dishonest then, and it has proven to be aggressively so in its implementation.

    JD (4f721c)

  36. The problem is that the “insurance plans” discussed above aren’t full-fledged insurance plans in any sense of the word. Obviously, Obama was referring to full coverage insurance plans.

    Kman (5576bf)

  37. JD opines:

    The idea that the hahahahaa Affordable Care Act was a compromise is hysterical on many levels.

    More evidence that Republicans have relagated the word compromise out of the dictionary.

    Perry (329aa5)

  38. What compromise is Perry talking about with respect to ACA?

    elissa (86dd3d)

  39. Kmart – better Half and I were perfectly fine with our plans previously offered. However, the costs have been jacked up due to ACA hahahahahahahaha and my employer no lingers offers the plan. Fortunately, Better Half’s plan still covers spouses. The idea that people could keep their plans, as it was repeatedly sold to people, was a lie. Plain and simple. You could keep it, but it wont be the same, it will cost way more, and will force you to get coverage for things you don’t need or want. So if by keep your plan you mean keep a plan of someone else’s choosing at a significantly higher rate …

    Perry – please detail for us where the Dem controlled House and Senate worked with Republicans to draft and pass this bill. Kthxby

    JD (b63a52)

  40. Elissa – Perry is still butthurt that the Dems didn’t do single-payer. Anything short of that was a compromise.

    JD (b63a52)

  41. === Obviously, Obama was referring to full coverage insurance plans.==

    Your tentative aquaintance with honesty is amazing. Obviously Obama pretended he was referring to whatever plan one already had and liked. He was supposedly reassuring Americans of that and trying to sooth them that they had absolutely naught to fear from ACA. Otherwise I’m sure he would have been specific and transparent, right? Otherwise there would have been honest caveats. Right??

    My plan that I liked and which suited us is gone. I could not keep my plan and that is because my employer is not ALLOWED under Obamacare to offer that particular plan any more. Thanks a lot Mr. Obama.

    elissa (86dd3d)

  42. Just saying, you could have named a ship after a Mess Specialist off the Melvin. I would have been cool with it. Mess Specialists are fine people.

    Is that too much to ask?

    But no. We get the USNS Cesar Chavez. The USS Murtha.

    Are we not screwed?

    Steve57 (60a887)

  43. Elissa – Perry is still butthurt that the Dems didn’t do single-payer. Anything short of that was a compromise.

    True, JD! I especially liked the Swiss plan, which mandates basic coverage for all, provided by private insurers at cost. The government also mandates the cost of said basic coverage, medical treatment and hospitalization, subject to annual adjustment, with a deductible and copay. Premiums for the poor are subsidized. Additional ooptional coverage is available, which is how private insurers make a profit. Cost per capita is about half ours.

    Perry (329aa5)

  44. If I don’t like my President, must I still keep him ?

    Elephant Stone (0755d9)

  45. Perry – you could have passed that, you had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and a House that was willing to pass bills just to find out what was in them. That is on you. To call not doing it a compromise is laughable.

    JD (b63a52)

  46. Perry lurves him some government mandates.

    elissa (86dd3d)

  47. 42. Yes, we are.

    That’s not to say the raped will not survive to dance on her attackers grave(s).

    I sorta feel Federal Employees pain, being the pawn that suddenly, with inadequate warning, gets to sort out 5 days of bills with 4 days of pay.

    Doesn’t pay to be a low-information erect life form with opposable thumbs.

    gary gulrud (dd7d4e)

  48. Elissa – he is a good little foot soldier. He expects momma Govt to take care of him.

    JD (b63a52)

  49. How can Obama survive this constant stream of bad news?? Incomes drop the most in 20 years!

    Are people really that dumb that they think he and his party have nothing to do with this?

    I’m dumbfounded.

    Patricia (be0117)

  50. My plan that I liked and which suited us is gone. I could not keep my plan and that is because my employer is not ALLOWED under Obamacare to offer that particular plan any more. Thanks a lot Mr. Obama.

    And your current plan is worse?

    Kman (5576bf)

  51. And your current plan is worse?

    Yes.

    JD (b63a52)

  52. “I love it though how Republicans force their opponents to compromise, and then later cry with faux outrage, “he didn’t deliver on what he promised”.”

    Kman – I love it when Democrats claim Republicans forced Obama to compromise on the ACA. They weren’t even in the room when it was negotiated and Obama had to bribe members of his own party to get enough votes to get the monstrosity passed. Laughable revisionist history.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  53. “The problem is that the “insurance plans” discussed above aren’t full-fledged insurance plans in any sense of the word.”

    Kman – Substantial portions of the economy employ large numbers of less than full-time employees. You can actually look it up. This occurs is food service, retail, tourism, hospitality and many other areas.

    As an accommodation to workers many employers offer variations of the mini-med plans described in the article because they cannot afford to offer full coverage health insurance plans to less than full-time employees and their less than full-time employees cannot afford to share a substantial chunk of the cost of full coverage health insurance plan.

    Guess what, the affected employers and the Obama Administration tried to find solutions whereby the employers would still be able to offer some limited form of health insurance coverage to less than full-time employees going forward rather than dropping the benefit entirely. I think you can guess what happened.

    daleyrocks (bf33e9)

  54. ==I think you can guess what happened.==

    daley-you may be giving Kman too much credit. That would require him to understand how businesses operate to make a profit so they can stay in business to serve the community and keep people employed. It would require him to understand how insurance of all types is supposed to work inside the framework of individuals’ quite specific needs and wants for their insurance coverage. Till he gets over the everybody’s the same– one size fits all mentality and that the nanny liberals know what’s best for us– we will need to continue to school him and challenge him as DRJ said yesterday.

    elissa (86dd3d)

  55. From what I’ve been able to dig up, last November, Obie won Orange Co (where Orlando is) with 58.7% to Romney’s 40.4%.

    Seems to me they got precisely what they voted for.

    Blacque Jacques Shellacque (57deb7)

  56. Pat Cadell:
    In my lifetime, in over 40 years in national politics, Mr. Obama is the only president who comes close to rivaling Richard Nixon for fundamental disingenuousness…
    What this Woodward, White House sequester battle highlights is the crisis in our democracy. Not so much for what it says about Mr. Obama and his administration but for what it says about the establishment press and all the members of my own party.
    During Watergate, there were a number of Republicans who were willing to stand against the president of their party in defense of the United States of America.
    Sadly, as as Democrat, I must confess, that today there is no Democratic Senator or member of the House who appears to be willing to publicly put the country ahead of Barack Obama’s White House…
    As important as these other issues are, however, nothing rivals Benghazi.

    http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/02/28/obama-is-closest-thing-to-nixon-weve-seen-in-40-years

    elissa (86dd3d)

  57. This has been really great information! I have been looking for horse medical insurance, do you know anything about that?

    Marie Bastain (8f110f)


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