Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

All Federal employees should be on the public option!

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (1/22-2007 thru 12/14/2010) Donate to DU
 
johncoby2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Dec-04-09 08:37 PM
Original message
All Federal employees should be on the public option!
And if they don't like it, they can go work in the private sector with private insurance.

Put Congress and 2 million federal employees on the public option.

p.s. I am a federal employee and would GLADLY move.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
iceman66 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Dec-04-09 08:38 PM
Response to Original message
1. Makes sense to me!
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
lapfog_1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Dec-04-09 08:41 PM
Response to Original message
2. Kinda defeats the purpose of calling in an "option" - n/t
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
csziggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Dec-04-09 08:43 PM
Response to Original message
3. Why not put them all into Medicare and begin the move to single payer?
It really is the most cost effective way to do it.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
jtrockville Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Dec-04-09 08:45 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. ^ Best suggestion I've heard.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Hangingon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Dec-04-09 10:36 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. They do pay into Medicare now.
I do not agree with the OP. I am a Federal retiree. FEHB is a legitimate employee benefit. For those of us who entered federal service in response to JFK's call, we knew that we would earn less than the private sector. The benefits were an inducement. If we force Federal employees on public option, why not force all union members too? If you force Federal employees, you may as well force state,county and municipal employees. I think you will find a lot of opposition to this idea among those you plan to force.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
csziggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Dec-05-09 12:31 AM
Response to Reply #5
8. Frankly, I do think that all federal, state and municipal employees should be in Medicare
Also all military retirees, union workers, and every single American. One system that covers us all, less administrative overhead, fewer hassles for doctors and their staff. Put us all into the same system, same benefits.

My taxes are covering your coverage - ironic, since I cannot get my own health coverage. I am developing a lot of opposition for paying for that.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Hangingon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Dec-05-09 02:42 PM
Response to Reply #8
11. You taxes no more pay for my coverage than you pay for ...
government workers salaries. You pay for the benefits and services of government. Current and retired employees of government pay taxes to. FEHB, leave and other employee benefits are job inducements - the same as they are in the private sector.

I find it ironic that since you cannot get health insurance that I and other public sector employees taxes pay for your medical care.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
csziggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-06-09 02:42 AM
Response to Reply #11
15. For years I paid for my medical care out of pocket
Including a major reconstruction of a shoulder joint. This ate up any ability to save for the future and invest in my business. When I had to close my business that had employed my husband and me, my husband went to work in a shitty job to get benefits, so now because of him I do have health insurance.

So no, you are not paying for my medical care and never did.

Tax money does subsidize the federal health insurance that active and retired federal employees get, the same way that my husband's employer subsidizes his health insurance.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Hangingon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-06-09 11:09 AM
Response to Reply #15
16. Tax money - yours and mine - pay for the operations of the
Federal government. Those of us who patronize private companies pay for the operations of that company. The operations of both sectors include empolyee benefits.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
johncoby2 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Dec-05-09 06:02 AM
Response to Reply #5
10. Then they can go to the private sector
No one is putting a gun to your head to hire on to the federal government.

If you dont like it, leave. This isnt suppose to be white collar welfare.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
Hangingon Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Dec-05-09 02:49 PM
Response to Reply #10
12. I chose to work in the public sector.
It most certainly was not white collar welfare. The Federal employees I knew performed valuable services. If you want to take a stand for public option, great. File the form to leave FEHB and sign up for public option if it is passed. You can also resign from public service and join the private sector. As you poiint out, there gun hold you in the Federal workforce.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
upi402 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Dec-04-09 10:40 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. Reduce the age requirement of Medicare to 1 year
It would solve everything in this charade of a democratic process on display right now.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
csziggy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Dec-05-09 12:33 AM
Response to Reply #6
9. Reduce it to one second - Medicare from birth to death for all Americans
The same coverage for us all. None of this crap with health care dependent on a particular job or state, coverage for everyone.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
AwakeAtLast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Dec-04-09 11:55 PM
Response to Original message
7. And count teachers, too
Sometimes we are considered public employees and sometimes we are not. I would not mind being included.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
tritsofme Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Dec-05-09 02:52 PM
Response to Original message
13. Seems like a no-brainer to me.
Edited on Sat Dec-05-09 02:52 PM by tritsofme
Dismantle the FEHB and open the exchange to all federal employees.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
adamuu Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Dec-05-09 03:02 PM
Response to Original message
14. Increase the number of healthy people in the pool
Reduces costs.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Thu Dec 26th 2024, 07:56 PM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (1/22-2007 thru 12/14/2010) Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC