Does anyone know if Congress gets free health insurance for life??

[SoCalDemGrrl]

If so it certainly would make a difference in their outlook
on a one payer plan and providing competitionif they had to pony up
a premium out of pocket every month like
the rest of us.

If anyone has the answer to this, I'd really love to hear.

[billyoc]

1. Same as other federal employees, vested after 5 years.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/aa031200a.htm

[elleng]

4. Their RETIREMENT plans vest after 5 years.

MEDICAL insurance is available immediately, I believe.

Members of Congress receive retirement and health benefits under the same plans available to other federal employees. They become vested after five years of full participation.

Members elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Those elected prior to 1984 were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). In 1984 all members were given the option of remaining with CSRS or switching to FERS.

[elleng]

2. The insurance they get is NOT free;

they pay a premium and the govt pays some, too; same as fed. employees. They have choice among numerous insurance carriers.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/10/18430.html

http://www.opm.gov/insure/

[pkdu]

3. Pretty sure its not "for life" but still checking BUT it is

waaay cheaper than your average plan

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/may-2009/health/health-insurance/does-your-plan-match-the-federal-standard/index.htm


They can choose from many plans but..

"the most popular is a national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Preferred Provider Organization plan. Employee contributions for that plan are $152 per person, or $357 per family, per month."

[elleng]

5. The rates VARY according to WHICH of the BC/BS plans selected.

There's a HIGH option, a REGULAR option, and BASIC plan. BC/BS included here, as well as several others.

NOTE there are HMO plans and PPO plans.

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/rates/nonpostalffs2009.pdf

[elleng]

6. MY family has Standard BC/BS PPO,

and we contribute $ 164 BI*WEEKLY; the government contributes 352.

[magellan]

7. So you pay less than $1000 quarterly to cover your family?

Geez, we'd love that. Self-employed, the lowest premium hubby and I could get was over $1500/quarter. And that was with a $10K deductible each. Any deductible on yours?

[elleng]

8. Its excellent coverage.

Look at some of the others on the chart.

Its NOT single payer; its LOTS of insurance companies and plans, competing for large pool of employees/families, 'selected' by a govt agency as suitable with certain standards.

AND lower cost is available for bc/bs, for example, the 'basic' coverage is 99 bi-weekly.

[aquart]

10. Basic means what? We'll diagnose and then let you die?

[elleng]

11. It means, if you're interested, you have to study what's provided.

.

[MercutioATC]

12. Higher copays and/or lower reimbursements.

For example, the "basic" plan might require a $30 copay to see a doctor instead of $20 and/or the plan might only pay 60% of some procedures instead of 80%.

[elleng]

13. Some info here:

Note: comparing DC and MD.

http://usgovinfo.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.opm.gov/insure/

[MercutioATC]

14. Oh, I'm a member of FEHBP....

...and I'd rather see us expand the program to cover everybody than I would see single payer.

[bigbrother05]

17. Think that's what Obama has in mind

If your plan satisfies your needs, great. If not, make the fed monitored program available. Have known several people that opted out of the fed insurance because they were covered/got a better deal from a spouse's coverage.

[MercutioATC]

21. Some people DO get better bennies...

...but it's not bad.

[elleng]

18. I don't know what I'd rather;

was in Florida with my folks. They had medicare with a supplemental, and seemed to do pretty well with it.

Looking over bc/bs info reminded me how complex it can be to select; I don't mind, but I think many won't be able to do a good job for themselves. Imagine 100 million people (say, heads of families) selecting?

[Hannah Bell]

9. don't give her grief; she's so poor she *has* to shop at walmart.

[magellan]

16. We're so poor we were priced out of coverage

30% increase last time (the $1500/quarter + $10K deductible fiasco). And we hadn't used the policy. That was almost two years ago.

Nowadays we avoid climbing ladders and mingling with germy peasants.

I'm glad to know that our tax dollars are helping federal employees afford coverage....

[elleng]

19. Well, just watch out for all those germy peasants in Florida.

.

[magellan]

20. Knew I should have put an "lol" in there

Avoiding ladders and germy peasants just wasn't obvious enough for the laugh.

[MercutioATC]

22. So federal employees shouldn't get benefits?

I'm an employee and my employer provides most of my health insurance benefits. It's no different than if I worked for a private corporation.


You're really gonna have a cow when you realize that your tax dollars are funding my pension when I retire, too... :eyes:

[magellan]

24. Touchy much?

My opinion happens to be that at the very least, ALL Americans should have access to your benefits -- which BTW are different than if you worked for a private corporation in one crucial way: taxpayers pay your employer's contributions, not a private corporation.

[bigbrother05]

26. Such payments are deductible as Corp expenses

So the taxpayers are paying/subsidizing those as well. BTW, fed employees pay taxes too.

Think the point was that access to the fed system would be a positive thing as an example of a system that works pretty well for a large group.

[magellan]

28. Yeah, I zoned on that

That's what I get for speaking out of anger.

And I do know that fed employees pay taxes too, thanks.

I don't disagree that access to the fed system for all would be a good start to reforming our system. That was my point. Right now, we're paying taxes that help provide health insurance to others but we can't afford it ourselves. I don't begrudge others their coverage...I just want in on the game.

[bigbrother05]

15. If you're in while working, can carryover when you retire

The premiums go up, but still usually cheaper than available to the general public. My folks kept their BC/BS until medicare kicked in, then went with the supplemental plan. Things like the insurance and job security are part of the attraction of federal civil service.

[stray cat]

23. Yes but health care is a right for them and we pay for their right to health care

[SoCalDemGrrl]

25. Thanks all - good info. It's just that I know so many who go without any

health insurance, like my sis who was very healthy and took a gamble going without health
insurance because she was changing careers, very healthy and couldn't afford the premium, but OOOPS!! she contracted a very serious infection which hospitalized her and they brought in infectious specialists, etc. and it ended up
costing her $40,000. The hospital attached their bank account and they
almost lost the house.

This shouldn't happen.

And what about the increases for those who can afford insurance - we pay for our 20-something son's
Blue Cross PPO Insurance after he finished college. He's healthy and the premiums when I signed him up 2 years ago were $76.00/mo, then they went to $98.00 and now we just received a notice it's going up next month to $161.00.mo.
NO REASON GIVEN ....

Oh - and by the way - our business has DECREASED by 30%-40% in this same period,

So some of these events have gotten me thinking about our Congress and if they too feel these effects
because it seems by their inaction over this issue over the years as thought they are immune to it.

[1]

27. congress does. the fees reported in the above posts? do you think they pay them?

maybe.

i think not...