Who’s exempt from new insurance mandates?

Congress & gov’t employees would be exempt from the new insurance mandates, but that does not mean that no gov’t employees will be impacted by this gov’t overreach.

Many government employees have a terrific health care plan called the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB). As a retiree from the federal government I appreciate very much the big advantage I have from being insured through this plan. However, I am still extremely worried that since my health insurance is carried through a private company – Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield – then it’s only a matter of time before they are force out of business and that I, along with millions of other current and former gov’t employees will end up being forced into a health plan run completely by the government.

One of my many duties as a soldier in the Army National Guard was that of a payroll clerk for my unit. I saw and experienced first hand the bureaucratic idiocy and ineptitude that is pervasive in our government. It scares the hell out of me to realize that there is a real possibility that my life and that of my wife may end up with in the hands of the same types of people who cannot even get noble and courageous soldiers paid properly. I am literally sick to my stomach over the health care bill passed by Congress and signed by Barack Obama.

If the Statist Democrats had proposed a bill that gave American citizens the same health care plan as that of the FEHB, there would be very little, if any, opposition to that proposal. But since they didn’t, and since they passed a plan that has the real potential to destroy the private health care insurance industry, then they will, by default, destroy the basic premise of the FEHB. Incidentally, during the health care summit with Barack Obama one Democrat disingenuously stated outright that their proposal was exactly the same plan as the FEHB and even compounded that dishonesty by saying that the Republicans were complaining about American citizens getting the same plan enjoyed by members of Congress.

Citizens should not fear its government, but the government ought to fear its citizens!

Congress & gov’t employees would be exempt from the new insurance mandates, but that does not mean that no gov’t employees will be impacted by this gov’t overreach.

Many government employees have a terrific health care plan called the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB). As a retiree from the federal government I appreciate very much the big advantage I have from being insured through this plan. However, I am still extremely worried that since my health insurance is carried through a private company – Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield – then it’s only a matter of time before they are force out of business and that I, along with millions of other current and former gov’t employees will end up being forced into a health plan run completely by the government.

One of my many duties as a soldier in the Army National Guard was that of a payroll clerk for my unit. I saw and experienced first hand the bureaucratic idiocy and ineptitude that is pervasive in our government. It scares the hell out of me to realize that there is a real possibility that my life and that of my wife may end up with in the hands of the same types of people who cannot even get noble and courageous soldiers paid properly. I am literally sick to my stomach over the health care bill passed by Congress and signed by Barack Obama.

If the Statist Democrats had proposed a bill that gave American citizens the same health care plan as that of the FEHB, there would be very little, if any, opposition to that proposal. But since they didn’t, and since they passed a plan that has the real potential to destroy the private health care insurance industry, then they will, by default, destroy the basic premise of the FEHB. Incidentally, during the health care summit with Barack Obama one Democrat disingenuously stated outright that their proposal was exactly the same plan as the FEHB and even compounded that dishonesty by saying that the Republicans were complaining about American citizens getting the same plan enjoyed by members of Congress.

Citizens should not fear its government, but the government ought to fear its citizens!

Pat, thanks for your thoughtful comments. FYI, here's a post about the FEHB that suggests it's not so great:
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/12/09/fehbp…

[...] Update: see my March 25, 2010 post, Who’s exempt from new insurance mandates? [...]

Pat, thanks for your thoughtful comments. FYI, here's a post about the FEHB that suggests it's not so great:
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2009/12/09/fehbp-plan-is-no-moderate-compromise/

Thanks for the info about the FEHB. Most of the claims written in the CATO
article are things I was not aware of. However, we cannot try so hard to
find a perfect system that we discount a system that is much better than the
one passed and signed into law earlier this week.

One reason premiums have been raised is because the cost of doing business
in health care insurance has risen at ridiculous rates. I can drive to a
medical supply company in north-west Denver and purchase my medical supplies
from them for around $90 each time I need them. But they don't participate
with my insurance company. My insurance company participates with another
medical supply company that will ship my supplies and charge me just $18.
But they charge the insurance company $248 for something I can get myself
for just $90.

My main points about the advantages of going with a plan like the FEHB are
fairly numerous. Assuming that there isn't a mandate for citizens to
purchase health insurance through an FEHB-style plan under the threat of
taxation fines and imprisonment, we wouldn't have to spend $10 billion for
new IRS agents. We might have a better chance at allowing the market to
decide whether or not the program survives, not some pin-headed bureaucracy
with a hatred for private industry.

Pat

Thanks for the info about the FEHB. Most of the claims written in the CATO

article are things I was not aware of. However, we cannot try so hard to

find a perfect system that we discount a system that is much better than the

one passed and signed into law earlier this week.

One reason premiums have been raised is because the cost of doing business

in health care insurance has risen at ridiculous rates. I can drive to a

medical supply company in north-west Denver and purchase my medical supplies

from them for around $90 each time I need them. But they don't participate

with my insurance company. My insurance company participates with another

medical supply company that will ship my supplies and charge me just $18.

But they charge the insurance company $248 for something I can get myself

for just $90.

My main points about the advantages of going with a plan like the FEHB are

fairly numerous. Assuming that there isn't a mandate for citizens to

purchase health insurance through an FEHB-style plan under the threat of

taxation fines and imprisonment, we wouldn't have to spend $10 billion for

new IRS agents. We might have a better chance at allowing the market to

decide whether or not the program survives, not some pin-headed bureaucracy

with a hatred for private industry.

Pat