[Durham INC] Fw: Ask Senator Bur to give up his public healthinsurance coverage - Petition

Tue Sep 22 13:59:30 EDT 2009

Understood Ronnie. I thought I was just passing on the petition link/info...didn't realize it sent the whole anti-Burr email/letter and signed my name in support (though I did sign the petition).

Will be more careful in the future.

But since we have started a discussion, just wanted to provide the following info/links:

As stated in the links provided below, US legislators have the best retirement that they could vote in for themselves as well as the Lexus of health insurance programs, which cover their spouses and dependents as well. Thanks to the Civil Service Retirement System and Federal Employees’ Retirement System Act of 1986, many of them can retire with almost 2/3 of their salaries and life-time, top-of-the-line health insurance (for their spouses as well). I've never heard of better employment benefits:

http://public-healthcare-issues.suite101.com/article.cfm/health_care_for_the_us_congress

http://politics4all.com/campaigns/116-stan-cooke-for-u-s-congress-district-6-alabama/blog/3498-congress-should-live-like-us-no-special-retirement-or-health-plan

If they don't want public healthcare, they should severely cut their own benefits to match those received by the AVERAGE working American. Anything else is hypocritical.

Also -- I lived in Australia for 4 years and became an Australian citizen before I left. We gave birth to my daughter 100% on the socialized medical system there (which cost us about $400/year). Though I didn't give birth to her in a hospital room disguised as a hotel room, I got far better in-hospital (5 days in hospital, despite a normal birth) and follow-up care (including 2 weeks of in-home, mid-wife visits and several months of weekly group meetings with a midwife and other new moms) in Australia than I did when I gave birth to my son here in the states/NC 2 years later (1.5 days in the hospital, with little to no professional assistance). 

Public healthcare works in Australia, and people can also purchase private insurance on top of their gov't provided insurance, to 'cover the gap' as they say. I knew several people who needed surgery while I was there, and they never had to wait for prolonged periods. It can work...There is no reason for American citizens to continue going bankrupt or worse because they can't pay their medical bills. 

Don't worry... I won't discuss this further on the listserv ;)
--Melissa

--- On Tue, 9/22/09, Ronnie Griffin <res1m28r at verizon.net> wrote:

From: Ronnie Griffin <res1m28r at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] Fw: Ask Senator Bur to give up his public healthinsurance coverage - Petition
To: "Melissa Rooney" <mmr121570 at yahoo.com>, inc-list at rtpnet.org, durhamenviro at yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 1:36 PM

Dear Melissa,

I do not favor using INC resources as an anti candidate or in a biased political forum.

I am providing the following information relative the insurance coverage offered to all federal employees including additional benefits for all those representing us in Congress.        

Like other large employers, the government pays a large share of the cost of coverage. On average, the government pays 72 percent of the premiums for its workers, up to a maximum of 75 percent depending on the policy chosen. For example, the popular Blue Cross and Blue Shield standard fee-for-service family plan carries a total premium of $1,120.47 per month, of which the beneficiary pays $356.59. Washington, D.C.-based employees who prefer an HMO option might choose the Kaiser standard family plan. It carries a total premium of $629.46 per month, of which the employee pays only $157.36.
In addition, members of Congress also qualify for some medical benefits that ordinary federal workers do not. They (but not their families) are eligible to receive limited medical services from the Office of the Attending Physician of the U.S. Capitol, after payment of an annual fee ($491in 2007). But services don’t include surgery, dental care or eyeglasses, and any prescriptions must be filled at the member’s expense.
House and Senate members (but not their families) also are eligible to receive care at military hospitals. For outpatient care, there is no charge at the Washington, D.C., area hospitals (Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center). Inpatient care is billed at rates set by the Department of Defense.

-Brooks Jackson

Respectfully,

Ronnie Griffin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Melissa Rooney 
To: inc-list at rtpnet.org ; durhamenviro at yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 11:59 AM
Subject: [Durham INC] Fw: Ask Senator Bur to give up his public healthinsurance coverage - Petition

As a member of Congress, Senator Richard Burr receives cadillac health insurance coverage subsidized by taxpayers.

Yet, Senator Burr is opposed to any public plan for healthcare.  He insists that government healthcare is inferior.  If it's so inferior, Senator Burr, why have you glommed onto it.

Sign the following petition to let him know that North Carolinians want him to walk his talk and give up his government insurance.

http://www.petitiononline.com/BlueNC1/petition.html

The petition is sponsored by the BlueNC blog, which can be found here:

http://bluenc.com/

Regards,
Melissa Rooney

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