Courts and Law

Pro Bono Barrister: Storms drive BBA ‘Obamacare’ forum to new date

February 10, 2014 By Charles F. Otey, Esq. Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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Record snow and ice storms played havoc with just about everything this past week, disrupting trials, closing many courts and rendering it impossible for several law-related forums and CLE programs to be held.

The first casualty we heard of came with the announcement from Brooklyn Law Foundation Chair Fern Finkel that the foundation’s open-to the-public program on “Navigating the Affordable Care Act,” scheduled for Feb. 5 at BBA headquarters, 123 Remsen St., was snowed out.

Barrister Finkel, who works closely with past BBA President Diane Szochet on these matters, advised that the adjourned date is Feb. 19, same place, same time: 6-8 p.m.

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Those first reading about this valuable “Obamacare” presentation may wonder whether the adjourned offering will deal with the bombshell news this past week from the CBO claiming that the ACA would cause almost two million Americans to quit low-paying jobs where they have worked, basically to receive health benefits.

Republicans saw this stunning statistic coming from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office as proof that Obamacare was actually part of a plot  designed to take from the rich and encourage the less affluent to go full-time on the public dole.

Finkel will moderate the program featuring Charles J. Newman, whose practice is limited to Life, Disability, Health Insurance and Employee Benefits.

The speaker had already promised to deal with some of the trickiest issues dogging proponents of the health care revolution, such as:

  • Why am I losing my health insurance plan?

  • What are the options available though the “New York State of Health” Marketplace Exchange?

  • What are the differences of the health insurance plans offered “on Exchange” and “off Exchange”?

As usual, national  Democratic leaders, including the sympathetic “experts” on MSNBC, were caught by surprise, mumbling in desperation that millions of  Americans would now be free to “pursue their dreams!”(??)

The better response would have been to cheer the new reality as a boon to employers. Why? Thanks to Obamacare, tens of thousands of beleaguered businesses be freed of the onerous burden of footing costly health plans.

In the long run, small businesses will be pleased that they no longer have to foot the bill for employee health insurance benefits. And those on FOX television will gloat that, thanks to the CBO disclosure, they’ve uncovered yet another conspiracy conjured up by those who would overthrow our Democracy. One would hope that the erudite BBA President Andrew Fallek will be in attendance and perhaps offer some insight into the health care debacle.

 


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