See if this rings a bell with regard to your typical visit to the doctor’s office:
A [patient] walked in and was generally walked right back into a physician’s office. They get good care. They are not rushed. They are examined thoroughly
[Patients] receive top-notch, wait-free care, and money is largely no object. [Patients] pay a flat annual fee of $503, and it covers all expenses – without submitting claim forms to their insurer. Despite soaring costs throughout the health care system, prices have been largely stagnant in [this practice] for 17 years.
Man, America really does have the best possible healthcare system in the world. How could that possibly be improved upon? Plus, everybody gets a choice of 10 plans with nationwide coverage networks. Pretty fantastic, eh? Oh, wait, that’s not your experience? Oh, right, that’s the in-house health clinic that members of Congress provide for themselves. Worth noting that many who don’t even pay the paltry $503 fee still take advantage of the care.
Is it any wonder we can’t get reform passed?
Resolved: All healthcare benefits for sitting members of Congress shall be sunset effective December 31, 2009. Furthermore, all members of Congress shall be ineligible for Medicare or any other government supplied benefits for themselves or their families during their term of elected (or appointed) service beyond the normal provisions for their salary.
It’s the only way to get an honest attempt at reform.
Lemkin 