We’ve heard it spoken many times – the American people deserve healthcare coverage comparable to that enjoyed by members of Congress. The sentiment makes sense; after all, they are our public servants whose healthcare is substantially subsidized by taxpayers’ dollars. Why shouldn’t the public have access to comparable plans?
No doubt you’ve also heard the terminology "Cadillac Coverage" and "Gold-plated Plan" used to describe Congressional healthcare options, but you just might be stunned to learn that concentrating on the commonly accepted meaning of those terms reveals only half the story. Let’s take a closer look at the Senate – where opposition to a public option for healthcare reform is strongest.
We all know it’s true. Our Senators, like other federal government workers, enjoy unparalleled choice among healthcare plans and the cost savings that come from participating in a group large enough to be awarded cost reductions based upon economies of scale. If you’d like to learn more, the OPM’s Federal Employees Health Benefits Program link will provide all of the details, including a pdf chart of Monthly Premiums. $216.48 per month for a basic Blue Cross and Blue Shield family plan surely is a spectacular rate, isn’t it?
Consider, however, that only half of the Senate, the body of public servants having such difficulty endorsing a public option, has to be concerned about paying even that much for their healthcare coverage.
This point was recently illustrated by Senator Ben Cardin, who, being pummeled at one of his townhall meetings by a heckler against healthcare reform, shut the heckler down with the truth:
Another questioner [demanded to know]: "Yes or no?" on whether Cardin would enroll in whatever bill passes. Cardin began to answer twice, and each time the questioner asked him "Yes or no?" prompting a deafening roar from the crowd.
Cardin finally said, "I turned 65 this year. I'm in a public plan. It's called Medicare."
(Ironically, the only link I’ve found for this portion of the townhall is from Faux News).
Now, let it be known that Senator Cardin is a friend of The People and no hypocrite. He wholeheartedly endorses the availability of a public option healthcare plan. There are, though, in the United States Senate46 Senators who are currently age-qualified to receive Medicare benefits and 2 more who will be eligible to sign up this fall during open enrollment and you know, as well as I do, that far too many of them are either being non-commital or are outright saying "no" to a public option.
Here’s just one example of anti-reform talk (presumably including single payer and public option) from Senator Shelby, age 75:
Senator Shelby: When the government’s involved more and more in the details and you start the one-pay deal and you’ve got the government competing with private enterprise with all the incentives government has and the power, they will destroy the marketplace for healthcare and it will be a mistake and the American people better be careful in what they want.
Sure, Senator Shelby – let’s hear you slam the public option, "one-pay deal" that is Medicare.
Uh huh. That's what we thought.
OpenSecrets.org provides some illuminative commentary in an article entitled Senators Opposed to Public Option Haul in Health Care Pac Dollars:
Earlier today (June 22, 2009), [Nate] Silver--a self-described supporter of President Obama--listed the top 10 recipients of health insurance PAC money since 2004. None of these lawmakers--seven Republicans and three Democrats--have endorsed the public option for health insurance opposed by insurers and championed by the White House.
Most, in fact, have already rejected the proposal.
Those ten Senators are:*
Baucus (D-MT) [Age:67]
McConnell (R-KY) [Age:67]
Nelson (D-NE) [Age:68]
Kyl (R-AZ) [Age:67]
Gregg (R-NH) [Age:62]
Grassley (R-IA) [Age:75]
Lincoln (D-AR) [Age:49]
Enzi (R-WY) [Age:65]
Chambliss (R-GA) [Age:65]
Ensign (R-NV) [Age:51]
*From Nate Silver’s research at fivethirtyeight.com
Senators Baucus, McConnell, Nelson, Kyl, Grassley, Enzi and Chambliss – we know how much you like receiving the health insurance PAC money and how much you dislike a public option for Americans, but tell us - what do you think of Medicare?
Senators Feinstein [age:76], Hatch [75], Roberts [73], Cochran [71], Bunning [77], Bond [70], Voinovich [73], Lieberman [67], Risch [66], Inhofe [74], Shelby [75], Hutchison [66], Alexander [69], Lugar [77], McCain [72], Specter [79], Reid [69] and Dorgan [67]...
Nate Silver's chart shows you, too, have not endorsed a public option...but what do you have to say about Medicare?
Get these Senators on the record. Ask them - do you have government run, single-payer, socialist Medicare coverage, Senator?