Obama’s first union endorsement pays off for an Obamacare co-op
By Richard Pollock; Richard Pollock, Senior Watchdog Reporter | |
Proquest LLC |
Donald "D" Taylor, the
UNITE
The
Bond told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last year that "we will be governed by a board that's mostly made up of consumers," adding that it "will include community leaders who have experience working with underserved populations."
But Bond's promise remains unfulfilled. Four of the five voting board members at the Nevada Health CO-OP are officers or voting board members of
A spokesman for Nevada Health CO-OP failed to return repeated calls from the Washington Examiner seeking comment for this story.
Taylor's Culinary local chapter 226 in
Local 226 has been a major force in
Ralston said the union also was "a significant element of the turnout machine that helped save [Senate Majority Leader]
Former
Bond, Taylor's wife, not only serves on the board but also is the co-op's chief project officer and has often been a spokeswoman for the co-op.
Bond was previously senior director of health policy at the
She was also a paid lobbyist with the
Ralston said Bond could be regularly seen "up at the legislature a lot, lobbying on health issues."
Zumtobel doesn't even live in
The CO-OP listed
The fifth member is
The
Zumtobel's 2012 salary was
Nevada Health CO-OP doesn't pay Taylor, but he receives
The co-op does not disclose Ellis's salary, as he is an employee of
Nevada Health CO-OP customers have accused the co-op of misleading the public about its doctor's network since it began operations in
And recently, Taylor and his union turned against Obamacare when he discovered the new health care rules hurt the union and its membership.
Last March UNITE HERE released a scathing report about Obamacare titled "The Irony of Obamacare: Making Inequality Worse."
A CMS spokesman declined to discuss the
He told the Examiner in an email that federal officials "did not pre-approve members of any co-op formation board."
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