Our President sent a letter to Congressional leaders, who are engaged in developing a health care reform bill, including a strong call for a public option. The public option, in contrast to private health insurance, would provide a health care plan equal to that every member of Congress and every employee of our federal government obtains immediately upon starting work. Pre-existing illnesses are covered and there are no waiting periods. Furthermore, all members of Congress can choose form many options and our taxes pay up to 75% of the cost. In reality we pay it all because their salaries are paid from our taxes as well.
So all of the Congress and federal government employees essentially get health care paid by taxes. As a matter of fact every full time employee of government (federal, state, county, city, town, village, etc.) get tax paid health care from taxes. Even the taxes of all government employees are paid from taxes since taxes pay their salaries and all benefits. All government employees obtain irrevocable benefits that taxes pay including those for retirement and saving plans. Can you understand why Congress and government employees are as happy as can be about their tax paid benefits? Yet many Republican and some Democratic members of Congress decry the very idea of a public health care option for the rest of Americans who are not government, or ever have been government, employees. Furthermore, private sector employees often have their benefits canceled by employers who decide that they do not want to pay them any longer. Privately employed tax payers have virtually no assurances that the benefits they were promised when first employed will be kept. They often are not! And, they have no recourse.
There are about 20 million federal employees including about 3 million in military service. The total number of state and local government employees, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, is about 8 million. Therefore, approximately 28 million of about 140 million employed workers in the USA today are given bountiful health benefits from taxes. The nearly 14 million currently classified as unemployed and many millions who have given up hope of employment and are not included in the BLS data are up the creek without an oar. Furthermore, millions of privately employed workers are required to pay more co-pays and deductibles for their private health insurance. Those who have Medicare and supplement insurance plans to avoid catastrophic costs for prolonged illnesses have seen their costs increase more than 10% annually during the last several years. Insurance costs have risen so rapidly and excessively that health care coverage has become unaffordable for millions of Americans, employed or not.
America must support President Obama's call for a public option for health care. Congress must be told to give back the money private insurance companies and HMO's pay them for their political campaigns for preferential treatment to take a hike. Stop the greedy profit motive that drives the insurance industry. All Americans are entitled to the same health care benefits that government employees get from taxes that are mainly paid by the rest of us who have not been employed directly by government.This special treatment is tantamount to creating a privileged health care class, and kicking the majority of us in the butt. Enough already.
Support President Obama and tell your Congressional representatives to vote for a public option and hardship coverage. Tell Congress that all Americans are entitled to the the same health care coverage that they get and at most, at the same cost. Act now. Your health care future and health will depend upon your actions.
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