The latest fallout from the delay of the employer mandate penalty arrives in the form of actual dollars and cents. Roughly $10 billion worth of them.
At least that's the word from the Congressional Budget Office.
But then again, how much is its word worth these days? This is the same CBO that claimed reform wouldn't drive up premiums.
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And during its drive to pass reform, the administration touted the CBO's numbers when claiming the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was budget-neutral.
So much for all of that. And while we're at it, as someone in our forum helpfully point out: If the government is losing this money – again, $10 billion – who's getting it? The taxpayers – who presumably would just be keeping the money we'd otherwise be paying in penalties? (Excuse me, I mean taxes.) Pardon me if I don't get too worked up over that. The feds could stand to "lose" a little more money as far as I'm concerned.
Speaking of winners and losers, it's worth noting – especially in light of July's flurry of delays – the other exclusions that haven't exactly been making headlines.
For starters, in a disgustingly textbook example of "Do as I say, not as I do," reports have surfaced that Congress is still working feverishly, albeit quietly, to exclude itself – and its staff – from Obamacare.
Following suit, apparently the IRS union – the National Treasury Employees Union – doesn't want any part of the law its members are tasked with helping enforce, according to a report from the Washington Examiner. Ouch.
But this one is the best, by far: here to sign up.
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