One point the wingnuts have RE: healthcare is valid

[rd_kent]

Congress SHOULD use the same plan they want the rest of the country to have. It would go along way to shutting them up. Congress does enjoy quite a good healthplan. No reason they should not use what they want the rest of us to use. Or am I way off here?

[Cant trust em]

1. Actually, they are using the plan that they want the country to have

IE, employer based and with the existence of a public option they are not forced into using a different plan. Since they like their current arrangement, they get to keep it.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong.

[Zywiec]

3. I think the OP means the public option

Is that too much to ask?

[rd_kent]

4. Kind of....

The actual plan congress is on is 100% coverage, with very little, if any restrictions, much like my military retirement health plan through Tricare. Costs less than $500 a year for my ENTIRE family, $12 copays, $5 prescriptions and a $3000 catastophic cap. I use the doctor of my choice and use the best medical center in the state for my care. Its perfect. and cheap.

[regnaD kciN]

6. A $3000 catastrophic cap wouldn't seem much good...

...since it seems to me that checking into a hospital to get a hangnail removed would cost far more than $3000.

P.S.: What does this have to do with wingnuts? From what I remember, both Obama and Clinton proposed last year that the same health plan Congress gets should be available to all. Why credit the right wing with something we came up with? :shrug:

[rd_kent]

7. thats $3000 per year, not per visit.

And that is only the cumulative total of copays and "uncovered" costs.

[guitar man]

2. I don't disagree

And I've heard that sentiment expressed by more than just wingnuts. It would be a good foot forward on their part.

[Andy823]

5. i think you are right.

I have been discussing this on other boards with a large right wing number of posters. They use all the right wing talking points, and refuse to accept any "public" option, but when I mentioned that the congress has a great plan and that everyone in the country should have the same kind of health care, I got a real surprise. Some of the most vocal opposers actually agreed with me! If congress took the public option in the current bill, I think that would make a huge difference with many who now oppose it, that or give everyone in the country, all government workers, all citizens of this country, and especially all of congress!

Now I don't know how they could go about that, and sadly I don't think congress will ever go along with it, but I really do think that it would work. The vast majority of congress are millionaires and don't really need the taxpayers paying for their health care, so if they took the lead and made it mandatory that congress would be on the public option plan, it would change the whole discussion of reform. If the republicans voted against taking the public option for themselves, it would make them look bad, same with the democrats that are fighting this bill. All it would take to get the ball rolling is one member of congress to try and get this on the floor. I just don't know who would do it!