ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 73

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

216th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 6, 2014

 

 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  AMY H. HANDLIN

District 13 (Monmouth)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Expresses support of General Assembly for investigation by Congress into preferential treatment given to unions to "opt-out" of federal health care reform.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  

An Assembly Resolution expressing support for the investigation by the United States House of Representatives into the granting of waivers to "opt-out" of provisions under the federal health care reform law.

 

Whereas, Under the provisions of the federal health care reform law, entities such as corporations, labor unions, and small employers that provide health insurance coverage to their employees are permitted to seek one-year waivers from the federal Department of Health and Human Services to delay compliance with insurance mandate provisions of the health care law that became effective in 2010 that restrict the size of annual coverage caps on plan benefits; and

Whereas, The entities seeking waivers typically provide limited-benefits plans, or "mini-med" plans to their part-time employees, which plans offer very limited benefits for low monthly premiums; and

Whereas, These "mini-med" plans typically have low annual coverage caps, whereas the health care reform law seeks to eliminate coverage caps over time and provides that beginning in September 2010, the cap cannot be set lower than $750,000; and

Whereas, The Department of Health and Human Services has stated that it will consider granting a waiver to plans that certify that a waiver is necessary to prevent either a large increase in premiums or a significant decrease in access to coverage; and

Whereas, At the end of 2010, the Department of Health and Human Services granted 222 temporary waivers to businesses, insurers, labor union health plans, and other organizations; and

Whereas, As of January 2012, the number of waivers granted by the federal government swelled to 1,231 entities, approximately one third of which were given to labor union health plans across the country; and

Whereas, Many of the same labor unions that hailed the passage of the "Affordable Care Act" last year now have sought waivers to shelter them from a key provision of the health care law; and

Whereas, Many of the waivers granted by the Obama Administration were to entities that contributed funds to the Obama campaign; and

Whereas, The United States House of Representatives has pledged to conduct an investigation into the granting of waivers to determine if labor unions have been given preferential treatment by the Obama Administration in the waiver application process; now, therefore,

 

     Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

     1.    This House expresses its support for an investigation by the United States House of Representatives into the granting of federal health care reform waivers to determine if labor unions have been given preferential treatment by the Obama Administration in the waiver application process.

 

     2.    Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the Speaker and Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States House of Representatives, and every member of the United States House of Representatives elected from the State of New Jersey.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This resolution expresses the support of the General Assembly for an investigation by the United States House of Representatives into the granting of federal health care reform waivers to determine if labor unions have been given preferential treatment by the Obama Administration in the waiver application process.