Because of Obamacare my house burned down.

[JohnnyReb]

NO! Not yet but it might. Questions about Obamacare and the IRS has the county's many volunteer fire departments and volunteer fire fighters in limbo. Long article that covers whether the county is required to furnish them healthcare insurance and/or continuing to cover them with workers comp. One thing is for sure, my county taxes are about to necessarily skyrocket.

http://www.thelancasternews.com/content/will-obamacare-impact-fire-service

Cost will necessarily skyrocket...now where have I heard that before.

[Freeper]

What's the gist of the story, I'm not buying a subscription.

[JohnnyReb]

What's the gist of the story, I'm not buying a subscription.

I can see it without a subscription???????????????????.....anyway, here goes bits and pieces.

“There’s a 2007 IRS regulation that covers volunteer firefighters and how they can be sometimes considered as employees (of the county),” Willis said. “Under the Affordable Care Act we could conceivably have to provide health care for them.”

“We have 300 volunteer firefighters. If we had to provide for all of them and council said ‘nah, let’s take the penalty,’ then the county would have to pay $2,000 per person per year. That equals $600,000 per year we’d have to pay,” he said. “On the flip side, if every volunteer decided they wanted the full insurance, and had spouses and families with them, it could cost $3.3 million to insure them.”

“My concern is if we do that, the government will say we can’t provide them workers’ comp (compensation) coverage. We do that now, but if we take a hands-off approach, we can’t provide worker’s comp either.

“It’s a real nightmare scenario. What if all the volunteer firefighters say I’m outta here because there’s no workman’s comp? Now we’d have to put paid firefighters at each of our stations. That could cost $30 million. That’s our entire general fund budget,” Willis said.

For fiscal year 2013-14, the county’s general fund budget was $38.6 million.

.....and my US Representative said this, “It’s another one of those unintended causes of the healthcare bill and it’s what you get when you pass a bill that nobody reads,” Mulvaney said Wednesday night, Dec. 18.

[JohnnyReb]

K & R because this effects red state flyover country more than any where else.

[Freeper]

I can see it without a subscription???????????????????.....anyway, here goes bits and pieces.

“There’s a 2007 IRS regulation that covers volunteer firefighters and how they can be sometimes considered as employees (of the county),” Willis said. “Under the Affordable Care Act we could conceivably have to provide health care for them.”

“We have 300 volunteer firefighters. If we had to provide for all of them and council said ‘nah, let’s take the penalty,’ then the county would have to pay $2,000 per person per year. That equals $600,000 per year we’d have to pay,” he said. “On the flip side, if every volunteer decided they wanted the full insurance, and had spouses and families with them, it could cost $3.3 million to insure them.”

“My concern is if we do that, the government will say we can’t provide them workers’ comp (compensation) coverage. We do that now, but if we take a hands-off approach, we can’t provide worker’s comp either.

“It’s a real nightmare scenario. What if all the volunteer firefighters say I’m outta here because there’s no workman’s comp? Now we’d have to put paid firefighters at each of our stations. That could cost $30 million. That’s our entire general fund budget,” Willis said.

For fiscal year 2013-14, the county’s general fund budget was $38.6 million.

.....and my US Representative said this, “It’s another one of those unintended causes of the healthcare bill and it’s what you get when you pass a bill that nobody reads,” Mulvaney said Wednesday night, Dec. 18.

It said I had reached my limit for the month and if I wanted to see it, I had to subscribe. Thanks for the summary.

[cmypay]

My husband and son are both volunteer firefighters. One weird thing in this regulation is that each station is NOT considered a stand-alone entity. Weird because for funding purposes, purchasing, etc. each station has their own budget and regulations here. But the federal government is telling the county that all 8 stations in the county will count as ONE "employer" for health care purposes. That takes our 23 member department (exempt) into a business with over 100 employees (non-exempt). No way can the departments, or our county, absorb the cost, so I see our property taxes going through the roof 

[JohnnyReb]

My husband and son are both volunteer firefighters. One weird thing in this regulation is that each station is NOT considered a stand-alone entity. Weird because for funding purposes, purchasing, etc. each station has their own budget and regulations here. But the federal government is telling the county that all 8 stations in the county will count as ONE "employer" for health care purposes. That takes our 23 member department (exempt) into a business with over 100 employees (non-exempt). No way can the departments, or our county, absorb the cost, so I see our property taxes going through the roof 

Then your county finds itself in the same bind as mine.

No effect really on the democrat strong points(blue areas).

[vesta111]

Then your county finds itself in the same bind as mine.

No effect really on the democrat strong points(blue areas).

This is the reason we were to pass the law before finding out what was in it.


Don't know about you guys but I was constantly told as a young adult. Do not sign anything until you have read it and if there is something you do not understand and ask questions, if you are not given a good answer--run for the door.

Another warning, when signing anything sign it as close to the last paragraph.   Not unusual to have crooks have  you sign 3 inches down and the in the 3 inches of empty space fill in what ever they wish.

I just never could understand how this SCAM was worked on the American Public.   Why the Public did not refuse to allow this to be into law without not knowing one dame thing about it.

I do know I would understand life better if I had followed Alice down the rabbit hole, make a lot more sense
then living in a so called educated society.

[thundley4]

Many volunteers would have insurance through their other jobs, I would think. However some volunteers are retirees, at least around here.  This whole law was FUBAR from the getgo.