ObamaCare waivers jump from 222 to 729. See who’s on the list

health care equity

ObamaCare Waivers have just jumped from 222 to 729  covering 2,189,636 enrollees of which upwards of 40 percent are union members.

Conveniently, the latest list was not published until after the State of the Union but why should I be surprised. As I look over the 729 names I do not find McDonalds. Does the equal protection clause come to mind?

Let me share 38 names whose enrollees exceed 7500 in each group.
Approved Applications for Waiver of the Annual Limits Requirements

Updated January 26, 2011
All Applicants Listed have had 1 or more plans/policies approved. Approved State applicants are listed separately.
Applications for waivers from annual limit requirements are reviewed on a case by case basis by Department officials who look at a series of factors including whether or not a premium increase is large or if a significant number of  enrollees would lose access to their current plan because the coverage would not be offered in the absence of a waiver.  More detailed information on specific criteria can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/11-05-2010annual_limits_waiver_bulletin.pdf.  Approved applicants are granted an annual limit waiver for one year.  The Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight’s sub-regulatory guidance on the process for obtaining waivers of the annual limits requirements may be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/patient/ociio_2010-1_20100903_508.pdf

United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund 351,000 enrollees
Cigna                                                                               265,000
Aetna                                                                              209,423
BCS Inc                                                                           115,000
American Heritage Life Ins. Co.                            69,945
Wage Works Inc                                                           50,000
Darden Restaurants                                                    34,000
Soc. Svce Employees Union local #371            34,000
Reliance Standard                                                      33,377
Local 25 SEIU                                                              31,000
Amalgamated Natl Health Fund                          24,739
Security Benefit Fund Uniformed Fire Fighters NYC 23,900
Capital District Physicians                                      23,314
MVP                                                                                  21,548
Assurant Health (2nd application)                     19,024
Commun. Workers of Amer Local 1180           19,000
Excellus Health Plan                                                 18,860
Western Growers Assurance Trust                     18,858
Local 338 Affiliated Benefits Fund                     18,209
Health & Welfare Fund of Detectives Endowment Assoc NYPD 17,924
United Agriculture Benefit Trust                       17,347
Cracker Barrel                                                            16,823
UFCW Local 1500 Welfare Fund                        16,588
Triple-S Salud Inc                                                    14,769
United Food & Comml Workers Local 348    13,663
S. CA. Pipe Trades Trust  Fund                          12,700
Local 272 Welfare Fund                                      12,000
Teamsters Local 210 Affiliated Health & Ins Fund 10,613
Communicare Health Benefits Trust               10,138
O’Reilly Auto Parts                                                   9,722
American Fidelity                                                    9,358
Theatrical Stage Employees Local One          9,200
Superior Officers Council Health  & Welfare Fund 8,950
Laborers Natl Health & Welfare Fund            8,650
IBEW Local 613 & Contrib Employers Plan (union) 8,500
United Food & Commercial Workers Local 464A 8,228
Guardsmark, LLC                                                    8,086
Distr. Council 1707 Local 389                         7,867

And at the other end of the spectrum firms with one to five exempt enrollees are as follows:

Hupex Inc.                                                         1 enrollee
Kramer Elex.                                                    2
Sieben Polk Law Firm                                   3
Alizion & Galfunt                                            4
Town of Albion                                                5
Avon Central School District                    6

The full listing can be seen below.
http://www.hhs.gov/ociio/regulations/approved_applications_for_waiver.html

Recap from another blogger:

“This ever-expanding list of waivers is the direct result of ObamaCare raising the annual benefit caps on certain health plans. Obviously, a plan with higher annual limits is potentially more costly than one without them. The money to cover the difference in premiums has to come from somewhere. Without the waivers, it will come from the employer who are forced by law to upgrade to the more expensive plan. In other words, the 729 organizations who have received waivers are not seeking refuge from an unintended consequence, but from the costs associated with one of ObamaCare’s features. The real question is what these businesses will do once the waiver program comes to an end.”