Health Care Reform is a topic of great interest here at DailyKos. We have many great diarists and commenters who can tell you a lot about what is on and off the table, who is doing what, and how to support Progressive change in our health care system. There is just no excuse for 45,000,000+... count 'em - over 45 million uninsured Americans.
Often, we ask "Why can't we get a public option like our representatives in Washington?" The truth of the matter is a little more tricky and not well understood by most.
The numbers are over the fold:
Your representatives in Washington, and all federal employees for that matter, can purchase health insurance through FEHP (opens in new window). Of course a Senator can buy a better plan than a GS-5 clerk, but the coverage is available to all.
The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program can help you and your family meet your health care needs. Federal employees, retirees and their survivors enjoy the widest selection of health plans in the country. You can choose from among Consumer-Driven and High Deductible plans that offer catastrophic risk protection with higher deductibles, health savings/reimbursable accounts and lower premiums, or Fee-for-Service (FFS) plans, and their Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), or Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) if you live (or sometimes if you work) within the area serviced by the plan.
You already have access to most of the plans that your congresscritter has access to. They do not really have special government run insurance. What they really get is a selection of group health insurance plans through FEHB such as Blue Cross, etc.
The rates which are paid DIRECTLY by the employee are subsidized. This results in what looks like very advantageous treatment. In reality, the subsidy should be considered part of the Federal Employee's pay package. Nothing is provided for free but having a good paying job makes health care more affordable and many at the top may take it for granted.
Full Disclosure: I am an electronics technician for the FAA (an ATSS - Airway Transportation System Specialist - if you want to get fancy) and I am fairly well versed in the FEHB.
Here are the details of my plan, NALC - High Family (CIGNA medical), which is typical for government employees.
I pay $116.37 every two weeks.
FAA pays $349.13 every two weeks.
This amounts to
$ 3,025.62 per year for me.
$ 9,077.38 per year from my employer.
$12,103.00 per year total insurance costs.
This insurance does not include dental or vision but does well for pharmacy and medical expenses. You still have to fight to get some things covered.
One small point about the subsidy - it is just another way that the government keeps my retirement down since they do not consider it part of my pay. I consider it part of my pay and chose my current employment in large measure for the health benefits. This affects the highest paid government employees much less than those at the bottom.
The point is, congresscritters (and other Federal employees) pay fairly hefty premiums when the total amount is taken into account. The premiums are just buried in a way that makes it look like our representatives are getting an unfair advantage. If the full amount of the insurance was considered, these health plans might not seems like such a bargain. Also, it is not really a "public option" but is a subsidy for the insurance giants. I for one would welcome some real competition.