Ted Cruz’s Long-planned Healthcare Charade
Ted Cruz is full of it…
Daily Kos is reporting that Cruz told a New Hampshire crowd that he and his family are among the ranks of the uninsured, and that (of course) it is the fault of the ACA. He said he’s among those who “lost their health care because of Obamacare” and that he’d received notice that Blue Cross / Blue Shield “was leaving the market”.
Until very recently, Cruz was covered under his wife’s plan at Goldman-Sachs in Houston. His wife took an unpaid leave from her job for the duration of ol’ Rafael’s campaign and may have had her benefits suspended or rates increased because of that leave; however, BCBS of Texas has not left the market. In fact, their website says they “offer individual coverage options in every market in the state, both on and off the exchange.”
Cruz is eligible, as a Senator, to sign on with the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program just like every other federal civilian employee. He chooses not to. And he’s been planning this charade since last March. He was reported by Think Progress to have said in an interview with Dana Bash “[w]e’ll be getting new health insurance and we’ll presumably do it through my job with the Senate.”
By law, Cruz is subject to the $695 or 2.5% of household income penalty for non-covered individuals. On a typical Senate salary, that would be ~$4350…good thing Heidi’s not working, huh?
Update: Think Progress is now reporting that Cruz “forgot” to renew his plan… thanks, Obama!
Update: Wall Street Journal reports that the Cruz campaign was forced to admit that Rafael and family are, indeed, insured.
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