U.S. Senator John Thune (R-South Dakota), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today questioned the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sylvia Burwell, at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee about the Obama administration’s decision to exempt certain union plans from the ObamaCare reinsurance tax, leaving other self-insured plans to foot the bill.
Thune asked Burwell at today’s hearing, “The question is really a very simple one…If there are groups exempted from that reinsurance tax, does that mean that those subject to the tax are going to have to pay higher taxes?” Burwell failed to answer the question and Thune pushed back, “…this particular provision is really problematic for those who still have to pay the reinsurance tax, and all I’m simply saying is that as a matter of fairness in the way that this is implemented, carving out favored groups shouldn’t be the modus operandi. We ought to be going about doing this in a way that treats everyone fairly under the law.”
Video of the senator’s questions is available here.