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What kind of insurance does Congress/Senate get?
- Thread starter SAWYER
- Start date
RyanPaulShaffer
Diamond Member
No, they will get their own special, preferential treatment, so they don't have to deal with the "healthcare rationing" that comes with universal healthcare in every single instance that it has been implemented.
"Lots of people ? some of whom should know better ? start bemoaning the "free health insurance" provided by the government to members of Congress. Simply stated, there is no such thing.
Here are the facts.
Members of the House and Senate may be seen by the office of the attending physician in the U.S. Capitol (Navy doctors on active duty) when they have a health problem while in Washington, D.C. They may be referred to Walter Reed Army Hospital or Bethesda Naval Hospital for further treatment if necessary. They are not required to use this service and may seek private medical care while in Washington if they so desire.
If House and Senate members choose to use the Capitol attending physician and the Army and Navy hospitals while in D.C., they pay an annual fee (equivalent to being part of an HMO). If they seek private medical care while in D.C. or back in their home states, they use their private health insurance. If they are over 65, they use Medicare and whatever private supplemental insurance they may carry. And, of course, they paid into Medicare while working just like everyone else.
Members of Congress are eligible ? like all other federal employees ? to sign up for one of the "cafeteria" health insurance plans offered all other federal employees. If they sign up for one of these policies, the federal government pays two-thirds of the premium and the Congressman pays the other one-third. This is comparable to insurance offered by many private employers."
Here are the facts.
Members of the House and Senate may be seen by the office of the attending physician in the U.S. Capitol (Navy doctors on active duty) when they have a health problem while in Washington, D.C. They may be referred to Walter Reed Army Hospital or Bethesda Naval Hospital for further treatment if necessary. They are not required to use this service and may seek private medical care while in Washington if they so desire.
If House and Senate members choose to use the Capitol attending physician and the Army and Navy hospitals while in D.C., they pay an annual fee (equivalent to being part of an HMO). If they seek private medical care while in D.C. or back in their home states, they use their private health insurance. If they are over 65, they use Medicare and whatever private supplemental insurance they may carry. And, of course, they paid into Medicare while working just like everyone else.
Members of Congress are eligible ? like all other federal employees ? to sign up for one of the "cafeteria" health insurance plans offered all other federal employees. If they sign up for one of these policies, the federal government pays two-thirds of the premium and the Congressman pays the other one-third. This is comparable to insurance offered by many private employers."
BrunoPuntzJones
Lifer
Think Ted Kennedy would be using the same healthcare everyone else would get?
nobodyknows
Diamond Member
LOL, I guess you're not aware of the "standard" operating procedures in DC.
frostedflakes
Diamond Member
Aren't their thrifts backed by bonds? Much more modest returns (a few percent), but not vulnerable to stock market fluctuations.
Maybe I'm thinking of something else, though.
TSP for the Fed Gov is liek 401k for private workers. We can get up to 5% match if we put in 5% and it can go up and also down.
I guess Genx87 I should be mad as that "11%" was much lower then some other funds out there right? Damm gov keeping me down. :roll:
Oh and yes 8 of the 10 funds in TSP are down. Only ones up are the G and F fund but those are the safe ones that grow very little are are there for people to put their money before they retire.
Sigh, I suppose complete ignorance is something to be expected from certain people on this forum, as usual. The complete misunderstanding of benefits derived from federal employment is somewhat astounding.
As was said, the TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) is basically a 401k where you have a choice of funds to buy into, each of which is built to track some "standard" fund out in the market. There is one called the G-Fund that is basically just government bonds, then there is one that is built to track the performance of the S&P500 (C Fund), one to track the Wilshire 4500 Completion Index (S Fund), and a couple more options, including the L Funds which are "lifecycle" funds like L2040 that changes how you're distributed as you grow closer to your retirement year.
I find it funny how you say "We get Social Security" as if that's the only thing available to people outside of the government. Aren't you supposed to be saying stuff like, "If you can't get a job that provides a better retirement plan than you just need to work harder and you only get what you deserve." You act as if the TSP is some magical retirement fund created by Genies in bottles. If you had your TSP balance in the C-Fund you certainly haven't seen any 11% growth this past year. In many ways, depending on the company servicing your 401k, someone with a private 401k will probably have far more options in how to invest their 401k money than someone in the TSP program due to the TSP's relatively small number of fund options and lack of individual stock buying to build highly customized portfolios.
Health insurance isn't really very different from private employer health insurance, though a federal employee might have a wider choice of plans, but one would still be a fool to not read through the insurance pamphlets every year and see what changes have been made to coverage even under the same plan (including rising deductibles, copays, and rising premiums).
BrunoPuntzJones
Lifer
I doubt he'd be willing to use the same healthcare system he proposes everyone else use.
Do as I say, not as I do.
Nebor
Lifer
My PPO as a civilian provided FAR better care for $1000\mo compared to my free "universal" Tricare coverage in the US military. And it's easy to draw the analogue between Tricare and UHC for the whole country: There are no copays, so there's no disincentive for going to the doctor\clinic\hospital for every little problem. There's no competition between providers, so they can treat you like crap knowing you have to come back.
UHC is a terrible idea, with terrible results. Liberals want to provide insurance to those they feel are less fortunate, when those very people have made purchasing choices placing insurance very low on their priorities list. They have cable TV and cell phones, but no insurance, so the bleeding hearts will swoop in and save the day by buying them something they could care less (to spend their own money on) about.
Your assertions are not backed up by reality. UHC has far better results worldwide than our system, and that fact is indisputable.
In addition I was under Tricare for quite a bit longer than you have been and I had zero complaints. Excellent quality. Furthermore, patient satisfaction from Tricare designated providers and such is significantly higher than from traditional HMOs.
EDIT: Oh, and you paying $1000 a month is absolutely nuts. For $12,000 a year in premiums you better have fucking gold plated care.
imported_Lothar
Diamond Member
I hope everyone gets the same healthcare as Dick Cheney.
He's suffered at least 4-5(if not more) heart attacks now.
blackangst1
Lifer
UHC != everyone has the same healthcare.
miketheidiot
Lifer
i see that the hacks and shills are out in force tonight
I don't see why they're offered any kind of health insurance. They can afford to pay out of pocket with the salaries they're drawing. The solution is to go after the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies, and the artificial limits on the doctor pool in America enforced by the AMA. Stop those 3 from raping consumers, and offer single payer. Make the insurance companies compete, for a change. Kill the restriction on negotiating on drug prices that Bush and Co. implemented. There's a reason drugs are 1/3 to 1/4 the price of the same thing here in America.
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