It's interesting to me that only 16 Republicans stepped up to the challenge and opted not to take Federal subsidized Healthcare by Uncle Sam (us) and shopped out on the open market like the rest of us. They quickly found out how expensive it was for John "Q" public and some had a hard time obtaining because of pre-existing conditions.
Unlike most of Representative Joe Walsh's other 15 congressional colleagues who are also turning down government benefits, the Illinois freshman did not have alternative health insurance, so he says he bought his own insurance coverage, which has a $5,000 deductible. Walsh says his wife has a pre-existing condition, so insurance would not cover her. Therefore, he says they will pay for the treatment for her ailment, which he declined to disclose, out of pocket. "If I would of taken the congressional plan, I'd taken the group policy, and my wife would have been covered and life would have been a heck of a lot easier. But this is the pledge that I made, it's something my wife and I have thought long and hard about, and it's a principle, and it's important to both of us," Walsh said.
Representative Bobby Schilling, another GOP freshman from Illinois, is also declining coverage from the Federal Employees Health Benefit plan out of principle, saying he too ran on that promise. Unlike Walsh, Schilling already has insurance that he will keep through his pizza parlor business back home.
Representative Richard Nugent, R-Florida, has COBRA with the help of his state government, since he is a retired sheriff.
Others Like Representative Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, are veterans and already receive government benefits through the Veterans Affairs department. And others like Representative Mike Kelly, R-Pennsylvania, and Representative Daniel Webster, R-Florida, are not accepting the congressional health care benefit because they already have insurance through their own businesses back home. But that decision is costing people like Webster a lot more money. According to his chief of staff, Webster pays $1,200 a month for health insurance for his family, and would only be paying about $400 monthly if he accepted government benefits offered to him as a congressman. "They all have Plan Bs," noted Democrat Joe Crowley. "The 46 million Americans who don't have insurance today don't have a Plan A."
Representative Paul Gosar, R-Arizona, is a freshman declining the federal benefits for philosophical reasons. According to spokeswoman Stephanie Zimmerman, Gosar has a health savings account for his family, and has seen his premiums increase 30% in the last year. Zimmerman said if Gosar were to opt in to federal health benefits, he would be able to cover his entire family for about $300 a month. Under his current plan, he has to pay approximately $1,700 a month out of pocket. "He made a promise to his constituents that he would not take members' health benefits because he wanted to live like everyone else in his district," Zimmerman said.
Florida Representative Allen West, a Republican freshman elected with significant Tea Party support, is accepting the federal health care benefit. He dismisses Democratic accusations that he and other lawmakers like him are hypocrites.
Still -- regardless of their reasoning -- only a fraction of Republicans who voted to repeal the health care law are forgoing government-subsidized insurance for themselves. GOP leadership aides insist there is nothing wrong with lawmakers, including House Speaker John Boehner, accepting government-subsidized health care benefits, since the government is their employer. "The speaker, like President Obama, Senator Harry Reid and tens of millions of other Americans, gets his health coverage through his employer. That has nothing to do with opposition to Washington Democrats' unconstitutional, job-destroying health care law," said Michael Steel, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner. They may be small in number, but some of Boehner's freshmen GOP colleagues disagree. They say their opposition to the health care law is in fact connected to the government-subsidized insurance offered to them.
------ I think whatever healthcare is eventually passed the American Public should have access to the same level of healthcare options our congressional leaders have .. No more ... No Less. Congressional leaders who take subsidized healthcare should not have the right to vote against the American public having access to similar plans. -
or our congressional leaders should be required to shop open market like the rest of us - JMHO
