Ted Cruz Going On Obamacare

[big_dog]

Last edited Tue Mar 24, 2015, 10:38 PM - Edit history (3)

Source: CNN

Ted Cruz is going on Obamacare. The newly announced 2016 Republican presidential candidate told CNN's Dana Bash on Tuesday that he will sign up for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act -- a law he has been on a crusade to kill. "We'll be getting new health insurance and we'll presumably do it through my job with the Senate, and so we'll be on the federal exchange with millions of others on the federal exchange," Cruz said.

Cruz's admission comes one day after CNN first reported that the senator would no longer have access to health benefits through his wife's employer, Goldman Sachs. Heidi Cruz, a managing director at the firm's Houston office, has gone on unpaid leave for the duration of the senator's presidential campaign and will not have access to the company's benefits during that time.

Cruz's campaign appeared caught by surprise Monday by questions about the senator's health care. Asked how Cruz's family would be covered after his wife lost her Goldman Sachs benefits, Cruz spokesman Rick Tyler repeatedly answered that he didn't know. It's a deeply ironic development for the Texas conservative firebrand, who vaulted to fame during his few years in the Senate in large part by denouncing President Barack Obama's landmark health care law.

Cruz denied that there was anything ironic about the move, saying he was simply following the law. "I believe we should follow the text of every law, even (a) law I disagree with," Cruz told CNN. "It's one of the real differences -- if you look at President Obama and the lawlessness, if he disagrees with a law he simply refuses to follow it or claims the authority to unilaterally change." Cruz also said he will continue advocating for repealing the law.








Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/politics/ted-cruz-obamacare/index.html

[bravenak]

1. Ha ha!

[big_dog]

2. what about the $1,800 Ted gambled away on illegal poker at Harvard Law?

Cruz denied that there was anything ironic about the move, saying he was simply following the law. "I believe we should follow the text of every law, even (a) law I disagree with," Cruz told CNN. "It's one of the real differences -- if you look at President Obama and the lawlessness, if he disagrees with a law he simply refuses to follow it or claims the authority to unilaterally change." Cruz also said he will continue advocating for repealing the law. Josh Marshall at TPM http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/me-ted and Daily Beast.... several fellow classmates who asked that their names not be used described the young Cruz with words like "abrasive," "intense," "strident," "crank," and "arrogant." Four independently offered the word "creepy," with some pointing to Cruz's habit of donning a paisley bathrobe and walking to the opposite end of their dorm's hallway where the female students lived. Cruz also angered a number of upperclassmen his freshman year when he joined in a regular poker game and quickly ran up $1,800 in debt to other students from his losses. Cruz’s spokeswoman, Catherine Frazier, said Cruz acknowledges playing in the poker games, which he now considers “foolish.”

“He went to his aunt, who worked at a bank in Dallas, and borrowed $1,800 from her, which he paid in cash and promptly quit the game,” Frazier told The Daily Beast http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/08/19/ted-cruz-at-princeton-creepy-sometimes-well-liked-and-exactly-the-same.html#

[ananda]

3. In the can't make this shit up category!

[DonViejo]

4. Chickens. Home. Roost!

[uppityperson]

5. hey Ted, you could simply pay the $90 instead.

[progree]

12. The penalty is 2% of household income in 2015 for someone in Cruz's circumstances

The $95 is an old 2014 figure and applies to a single individual whose income is less than $9500 (and then he/she would probably be exempt from the penalty for income too low).

The penalty for not being covered in 2014 was the Greater of (a) or (b):
` (a) $95 per adult, $47.50 per child (family maximum of $285)
` (b) 1% of household income

In 2015 it is the Greater of (a) or (b):
` (a) $325 per adult, $162.50 per child (family maximum of $975)
` (b) 2% of household income

In 2016 it is the Greater of (a) or (b):
` (a) $625 per adult, $312.50 per child (family maximum of $2,085)
` (b) 2.5% of household income

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-best-life/2012/07/13/how-the-health-insurance-mandate-penalty-will-work

A U.S. senator's salary is $174,000 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salaries_of_members_of_the_United_States_Congress ) so if that was the only household income, the penalty would be 2%*174,000 = $3,480 .

[font color = red]On Edit:[/font] corrected the 2016 per child number from $150 to $312.50

[uppityperson]

13. thank you, I wasn't sure if I was right with that and wasn't. How about COBRA?

[progree]

14. I'm pretty much clueless on Cobra. I know what it is, don't know what his/their options are on that

I don't know why they wouldn't be eligible to go that route.

[cui bono]

16. Cobra is not cheap. He would get a much better rate going through the exchange.

So basically, he has no integrity to stand up for what he "believes" in or he would pay the higher rate.

Plus, can't people still get private insurance without going through the exchanges? That's what COBRA does for you. So he is doing it to save money, period. He's a taker, a welfare queen as they like to call it.

[jmowreader]

31. In his case, he cannot

In the early days of Obamacare, they wrote a law requiring any Member of Congress whose spouse wasn't eligible for a qualifying plan from his or her work (some members have such spouses, like Cruz and McCain) to buy insurance on the exchange. I also think the law says they can't opt out.

[cui bono]

32. Ah, I see. Well my other thought was that he was usingn the exchange just so he could "report back"

about how awful it was.

[kacekwl]

37. Of course that is why he is doing it , to report on Hanitiy how horrible it is . Watch and see.

[big_dog]

20. ha! 325 dollars for both of them...plus the kids

Last edited Wed Mar 25, 2015, 12:31 AM - Edit history (1)

but they would still be uninsured members of Congress

[mrmpa]

6. Cobra, cobra, cobra...........

didn't he or his wife ever hear of Cobra. While on unpaid leave she has access to Goldman's health care, she just has to pay the full amount.

[shebornik]

10. great movie!

An aging one armed Spencer Tracy beating the crap out of a much younger Ernest Borgnine is even more believable than Ted Cruz.

[Marthe48]

7. What an ignorant twit

How did this uninformed ignoramus get elected?

[KansDem]

8. This guy's a f*cking hypocrite!

Cruz denied that there was anything ironic about the move, saying he was simply following the law. "I believe we should follow the text of every law, even (a) law I disagree with," Cruz told CNN. "It's one of the real differences -- if you look at President Obama and the lawlessness, if he disagrees with a law he simply refuses to follow it or claims the authority to unilaterally change." Cruz also said he will continue advocating for repealing the law.

Won't his fellow Republicans call him a "moocher?" The GOP is the "Gang Of hyPocrites"

[Marrah_G]

9. Nothing says he can't buy insurance privately!

He just wants to get it for free while working to take it away from others not as fortunate as himself.

[KansDem]

18. 1 x google!!!*

[font size="1"]________
*Google: the number 10 raised to the power 100 (10(100)), written out as the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros.[font size="2"]

[big_dog]

22. Senator dumbass should definitely pay the $925 and go uninusred out if his 'principiles'

then he can wait in the emergency room with the rest of the population

[wordpix]

38. +1000

[WillTwain]

11. I bet he accepted government student loans or scholarships and has an FHA home loan, too.

He will go on Social Security and Medicare when the time comes. He or his kids, if he has any, will go to public schools or accept vouchers. He will support the government run military. He will eat and drink food and water made safe by big bad govt, also.

These guys are all frauds.

Remember, Limbaugh collected unemployment in the seventies.

[big_dog]

24. Limbaugh is also taking social security I bet

as he wails about 'greedy geezers' on welfare

[WilliamPitt]

15. "Rep."? He's a Senator.

Eh?

[Plucketeer]

17. Yeah, RIGHT!

Gonna be fun to see him grilled about this from his Tea Party admirers.

[JohnnyRingo]

19. What a jackass.

If he really believed "Obamacare" is the boondoggle he claims (every day), he could opt for a private plan out of his own pocket. A mere $8 grand a year ought to do it.

After all, I'm sure he's parroted the republican talking point that America had the "best health care system in the world" before the ACA was enacted.

K&R! Thanx for posting.

[blkmusclmachine]

21. Fox viewers (his Base) will never hear about it. So, he's good to go.

[TDale313]

28. You're right about that.

[Cryptoad]

23. I thought such a man of principles would,,,,,,

refuse to buy ACA insurance and pay the fine!

[big_dog]

25. he will never hear the end of this on saturday night live, daily show etc

what a great start to the wingnut primaries!

[NanceGreggs]

26. Apparently being a stupid fuckwad ...

... is one of those "pre-existing conditions" that doesn't preclude one from being insured under ACA.

[big_dog]

29. is psyche counseling avaialble under the affordable care act?

he surely needs it

[Historic NY]

27. Maybe he should try food stamps too...

just to see how other people live.

[Redford]

30. I am sure there is a method to his madness

We all know he does not have to go on Obamacare.

[jmowreader]

33. IIRC he actually DOES have to go on it

It's not because of his wealth (which is substantial), but because the Hard Right was complaining about Congress being on some sort of cushy free health plan while everyone else had to "suffer" with Obamacare. So...they came up with this law that says, if you're a congress member and you're not on your spouse's healthcare plan from his or her work, you have to open an Obamacare policy.

[spedtr90]

34. He doesn't have to, but he will for the 75% employer contribution.

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/03/25/3638697/ted-cruz-wants-believe-hes-legally-required-sign-obamacare-hes-totally-wrong/

The Affordable Care Act does not compel members of Congress to enroll in DC’s health care exchange; it simply cuts off the government contribution to their insurance plans if they buy their policies elsewhere....Nothing in the final rule or the law prevents a Member of Congress or designated congressional staff from declining a Government contribution for him or herself by choosing a different option for their health insurance coverage....In other words, Cruz could purchase coverage in the outside market but would get no subsidy from the FEHBP program

If he uses Obamacare he gets a 75% employer contribution. If he chooses something else he does not.

[Frank Cannon]

41. He's going on it to complain about it and play it up as an issue.

I thought that was obvious.

[erpowers]

35. Ecouraged Other to Disobey the Law?

Was,Ted Cruz one of the Republicans that tried to get young people not to sign up for the law? I know a number of Republicans tried to get young people to refuse to sign up for the law and pay the penalty instead.

[Buenaventura]

36. Isn't he worried about the death panel? n/t

[wordpix]

39. I can't wait for the "only" conservative candidate to explain this in debates

this will be great comedy

[question everything]

40. Oh, the irony! (nt)