I just *LOVE* how the Senators decrying a Public Option are enjoying THEIR gov run medical bennies

I wish some pundit or guest would ask THEM to pay for Cobra insurance outta THEIR pocket and say this system isn't broken.

on edit: to add " n't "

And in more ways than just this, but this is a big one.

Watch and learn

I bet plenty of them have existing conditions too, or members of their family do. Let them have some fun at that party, and we'd have Single Payer in 6 months.

we oughta have their bennies, and they oughta have ours.

find the money and the means to put through a comprehensive program in a day. It's just the public they don't give a shit about.

"I want what they have" isn't a good argument for single payer healthcare.

Senators have very good insurance at a good price, like other federal employees. That might be part of the reason some of them think insurance works great (of course there are other, more nefarious, reasons that doubtlessly also come into play). Insurance does work great, for them. Their pre-existing conditions are covered, everyone in the pool pays the same amount, and the insurance claims adjusters know better than to screw a Senator over in terms of what's covered.

"I want what they have" would be a good argument for government subsidized private insurance, which is what they have

A good argument for single payer is that it would be the most cost effective way to provide universal health care.

:shrug:

I mean...REALLY splitting hairs anyone? :shrug:

There is a big problem with thinking that what your congressperson gets is single payer. What federal employees including congresspersons are elgible for is the Federal Employees Health and Benefits Program (FEHBP). Many people think that this means that people in this program deal directly with the government rather than some creepy insurance company and they want to know why the government won't expand this to include anybody. The problem is that FEHBP is really a goverment sponsored competitive market for insurance plans. You get to choose from a variety of plans such as Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, or Kaiser Permanente. There are some major benefits such as only paying 28% of the monthly premiums as a benefit of federal employment and being in a large group. There are copays and deductibles. You pay more to see a specialist and obviously a doctor who isn't on the plan charges you the full price for services. You pay copays for prescription drugs. Unfortunately, the insurance companies jack you around and refuse to allow you to take a certain medicine, have a particular procedure, or make you leave the hospital before you are well enough.

The point I am making is that the health care received as a government employee is not through the government but rather through those pesky insurance companies that you are trying to avoid. I don't deny that it is pretty nice as insurance goes. It would be better if we could put insurance companies out of business and not have to worry about not getting coverage because of being treated like a number.

:-)

if they give you what they have, they'll be subsidizing large insurance companies without a public option. The government pays about 2/3 of the premiums, but they pay it to insurance companies.

If you want single payer, you don't want what they have

to private insurers, what is the difference? :shrug:

Public option is really good for them, but it's really baaaad for us. We're not worthy.

I'm thinking MoveOn will do a great ad targeting these selfish pigs. I'm sure their constituents would love to have the options their Congressperson has. Too bad they're not worthy.

to explain why that's OK for HIM to take public health care but not for US.

SUBSIDIZED HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS UNTIL ALL CITIZENS ARE COVERED--each time i call their office or the white house.

Never happen.