More Healthcare Uncertainty
You may have heard that the Obama Administration recently announced it was delaying the ‘employer mandate,' a key component of the Affordable Care Act which requires all businesses with 50 or more employees provide their full-time workers with an affordable healthcare option or face a penalty. While this delay may provide some relief for the Administration, it won't help small businesses that will still have to grapple with this heavy-handed mandate in the near future. And it won't help you, because there's no delay of the individual mandate that requires every American to have health insurance starting next year.
What you likely did not hear about, however, was that the Administration issued 606 pages of final regulations regarding key portions of Obamacare on the Friday of a holiday weekend. As part of this announcement, the White House now says that neither the Federal government nor the states have the capacity to verify an individual's income level and employment status in determining whether they should receive a tax credit to purchase health insurance. The result is that anyone can game the system and would be unlikely to face any punishment, increasing the likelihood of fraud and abuse.
This entire law is an unworkable train wreck. These actions further indicate that this monstrosity was simply too large and too complicated to implement, and that those who passed the bill are starting to realize that. No matter how many delays and exemptions there are, one simple fact remains: this was a bad law in 2010, it's a bad law today, and it will be a bad law in 2015 and beyond.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves
JULY MOBILE OFFICE HOURS
Each month, my staff travels the Sixth District to discuss your concerns face-to-face with you. Because the district extends from the Missouri to the Mississippi, it is important that we make interacting with my office as easy as possible for you. You are invited to visit with a member of my staff in a town near you. The Mobile Office schedule for July 2013 is as follows:
Monday, July 15th
Atchison County Courthouse, Rock Port – 10:30 a.m.
Holt County Courthouse, Oregon – 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 16th
Mercer County Courthouse, Princeton – 10:30 a.m.
Grundy County Courthouse, Trenton – 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 17th
Worth County Courthouse, Grant City – 10:30 a.m.
Harrison County Courthouse, Bethany – 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 18th
City Hall, Lake Tapawingo – 10:00 a.m.
City Hall, Grain Valley – 2:00 p.m.
Monday, July 22nd
Hamilton Public Library, Hamilton – 9:00 a.m.
City Hall, Jamesport – 10:30 a.m.
Cameron Public Library, Cameron – 1:00 p.m.
City Hall, Maysville – 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 23rd
Sullivan County Courthouse, Milan – 9:00 a.m.
Putnam County Library, Unionville – 11:00 a.m.
Schuyler County Library, Lancaster – 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 24th
Maryville Public Library, Maryville – 11:00 a.m.
Carnegie Public Library, Albany – 2:00 p.m.
Monday, July 29th
Andrew County Courthouse, Savannah – 10:30 a.m.
Mid-Continent Public Library (Liberty Branch), Liberty – 11:00 a.m.
City Hall, Parkville – 11:00 a.m.
City Hall, Platte City – 12:30 p.m.
Mid-Continent Public Library (Smithville Branch), Smithville – 1:00 p.m.
City Hall, Gower – 2:00 p.m.
City Hall, Weston – 2:00 p.m.
Mid-Continent Public Library (Excelsior Springs Branch), Excelsior Springs – 3:00 p.m.
Mid-Continent Public Library (Kearney Branch), Kearney – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 30th
Livingston County Library, Chillicothe – 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 31st
City Hall, Carrollton – 8:30 a.m.
City Hall, Brunswick – 11:00 a.m.
City Hall, Brookfield – 1:30 p.m.
City Hall, Lee's Summit – 1:30 p.m.