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Health reform foes request federal funds for early retirees
About two dozen businesses associated with high-profile opposition to the healthcare reform law are taking advantage of a provision that helps pay for their retirees' medical bills, according to a review of federal records by The Hill. The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday announced that almost 2,000 employers and unions have been accepted into the $5 billion Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, with more applications pending.
The application by Koch Industries of Kansas immediately raised eyebrows because its principal owners — Charles and David Koch — have been high-profile opponents of healthcare reform and bankrollers of the Tea Party movement.
But a state-by-state review of approved applicants reveals that more than a dozen members of the board of directors of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce have also been accepted into the program. The Chamber has been a leading foe of the law.
"We’re pleased the Affordable Care Act is delivering much-needed relief to businesses that provide coverage for their retirees," said an administration official.
The Chamber members include:
- Pfizer, PepsiCo, New York Life Insurance Company, Eastman Kodak and IBM of New York;
- Rolls-Royce North America, the Norfolk Southern Corporation and the Altria Group of Virginia;
- UPS and Southern Company of Georgia;
- John Deere and Navistar of Illinois;
- AT&T and the Fluor Corporation of Texas;
- U.S. Airways of Arizona;
- Entergy Services Inc. of Louisiana;
- The Dow Chemical Company of Michigan;
- Anheuser-Busch of Missouri;
- FedEx Express of Tennessee;
- CUNA Mutual Group of Wisconsin;
- And Pepco Holdings Co. of Washington, D.C.
Being members of the Chamber's board of directors doesn't mean the companies agree with all of its stances. Pfizer, for example, has been a vocal proponent of the law and even gave its CEO Jeff Kindler a raise in salary and bonuses after it passed, according to CBS News and other reports.
