You need to understand what's being floated real quickly.
The new faux Public Option goes something like this. Allow some a handful of self-employed and small business access to some sort of FEHBP wannabe which will be overseen by the Office of Personnel Management.
I have studied the FEHBP private, for-profit Cadillac healthcare the political class gives itself for many years.
Many people mistakenly believe this is public healthcare. It's not. In fact the FEHBP is what I call a banquet of heavily taxpayer subsidized private plans.
Two things.
- This new trial balloon has nothing in the world to do with a public option. FEHBP is simply a menu of heavily taxpayer subsidized private plans.
- As sure as night follows day, even if this crap became law, you and I would not receive the taxpayer subsidies that federal employees receive.
My pal Jon Walker at Firedoglake explains what this newest idea is all about. It's a compromise of the compromise of the compromise of the compromise. All to get the votes of Snowe, Collins, Lincoln Landrieu and Lieberman.
Speaking of Lieberman. I was in Connecticut last week, talking and doing videotapes with his very angry constituents. Message to Lieberman: you better think about a job in the private sector, because to say voters feel betrayed by you on healthcare is quite the understatement. To a person, residents of Connecticut know exactly the vile garbage Lieberman has been spewing.
Reverend Scott Marks was one of the people who prayed outside the home of Joe Lieberman in November.
Listen to what this good man has to say about this bad man, Lieberman.
Let's return for a moment to the FEHBP. This is what you won't get. No one knows exactly what is being proposed, but you can be sure, it's not this.
These are the 2010 non-postal premium rates. By the standards virtually all of us deal with, they are absurdly affordable. This is not what is being proposed for us.
Note:
On the BC/BS plan a single individual without the taxpayer subsidy would pay $538.24 a month, with the government subsidy the individual pays $175.08 a month. Yeah, I'd happily pay $175.08 a month for junk insurance. Right now, I'm paying $600 a month with a $3000 deductible, a $40.00 co-pay for all doctor visits (in network) and a huge hospital co-pay if I had the misfortune to require hospitalization.
On the FEHBP BC/BS Family Plan the unsubsidized family premium is $1215.72 a month, with the taxpayer subsidy the family premium is $400.97.
One reason things are spinning so out of control is because those we elect to do our business have successfully created a program which shields them from the realities we face.
Isn't it long overdue that they pay what we pay? Face the brutal realities we face?
You can go here to see all the plans the elected class gives itself. Put in your zip code and you'll see the banquet of private plans they can select.
Here's what Ezra Klein has to say about this new trial balloon, not a word on what we'll pay.
One more thing. I'm headed to Kansas City tomorrow to video the Kansas City Free Clinic. Stay tuned.