Single-Payer Health Insurance
Would Congress—Representatives, Senators, & staff members—participate in a single-payer medical insurance program?
What is Single-Payer?
Is it—
- The next [best | worst] thing to [fill in here]?
- The salvation of medical care as we don’t know it?
According to Wikipedia, a single-payer insurance program:
…collects all medical fees and then pays for all services through a single government (or government-related) source. In wealthy nations, this kind of publicly-managed health insurance is typically extended to all citizens and legal residents.
You could be surprised to learn that some US citizens already participate in single-payer medical insurance programs.
Who and What?
| Plan | Beneficiaries | Payor |
| Medicare | US citizens aged 65 or older or those younger than 65 y/o who meet disability requirements | Federal government |
| Medicaid | Individuals who meet means- and needs-based requirements | Federal & state governments |
| Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) | Families with children who meet financial needs requirements but whose income exceeds eligibility requirements for Medicaid(1) | Federal & state governments |
| US Military Health System | The MHS responds anytime, anywhere with comprehensive medical capability to military operations, natural disasters and humanitarian crises around the globe, and ensures delivery of world-class health care to all Department of Defense (DoD) service members, retirees, and their families. | Federal government |
| TRICARE | TRICARE is available to active duty service members and retirees of the seven uniformed services, their family members, survivors and others who are registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). | Federal government(2) |
| Federal Employees Health Benefits Program | US Government employees, including members of the House of Representatives and Senators, are eligible to participate in the FEHBP. | Federal government(2) |
Does this mean that (gasp!) Congress participates in a (GASP!) single-payer medical insurance plan??
Yes.
Oh, By The Way…
If you or someone close to you, or a friend or a neighbor, participates in Medicare or TRICARE or CHIP, that person—or those people—also benefit from a federally-funded single-payer medical insurance program.
Perhaps we should ask:
“Why won't Congressional Republicans allow their constituents to use a single-payer program such as the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program?”
If you’re a true-blue, red-blooded American patriot who supports the Tea Parties and who opposes Socialism As Foisted upon us by those Evil People in Congress, I’m certain that you will run right out and warn those you know who do participate in these Evil Socialistic Government-Run Anti-Capitalistic medical insurance programs so they can do The Right Thing.
By quitting them, of course.
You would, I am certain, want those misguided folks to follow the example of Mike Coffman, the Republican who represents the 6th Congressional District of Colorado. Rep. Coffman strongly opposes federal single-payer medical insurance programs and helped Republicans and Blue-Dog Democrats take the consideration of a single-payer plan for most US citizens “off the table” during the debates over health care insurance reform in 2009.
In fact, after he broke his ankle while jogging, Rep. Coffman declared that no reform is needed with these words:
“I successfully tested our health care system,” he said, with a laugh. “It works.”
GOP Rep. Mike Coffman Says Single-Payer Government Health Care "Works", David Sirota, The Huffington Post (January 7, 2010)
Rep. Coffman, by the way, participates in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.
Good luck.
(1) Children of families who are undocumented, or illegal, immigrants are prohibited from participation.
(2) Participants may be required to meet deductibles & pay applicable co-insurance fees.