Federal Employee Health Benefits Program
compared to
Improved Medicare for All
The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) is where members of Congress can select a plan provided by a health insurance company, to which they then pay the premium. The American taxpayer is the "employer" in this case. A suprising summary is provided after the following table. Suggestion related to viewing this web page: Do a left-mouse-click at the large "A" at the upper right corner of the web page. Click it multiple times to increase the font size. Position at the top of the table.
| (for-profit) Health Insurance Program available to members of the U.S. Congress and other federal employees Complicated, Bureacratic, Expensive, Partial Coverage |
Improved Medicare for All via Single-Payer Health Care: Non-Profit, Simple, Efficient, Lower Cost, Full Coverage |
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Benefits: a varying degree of (unknown) benefits – Details of coverage are often unknown until the doctor, hospital, or patient calls the insurance company to ask for approval to get health care. |
Benefits: all medically-necessary care via one national plan Primary care; inpatient care; outpatient care; emergency care; prescription drugs; durable medical equipment; hearing services, long term care; palliative care; podiatric care; mental health services; dentistry; eye care; chiropractic care; substance abuse treatment |
Complex with Many Costs – Payment of taxes and expensive health insurance premiums – Expensive co-pays and deductibles – Percentage not covered by insurance – Health care bills after the lifetime limit is exceeded – Interest amount(s) during the payment of medical bills |
Simple with Minimal Costs Costs The cost …. All family members get health care, because everyone is always covered. Drop in Costs – Low or no co-pays, no deductibles – Much lower drug prices (negotiations; bulk purchasing) – No limits – Dramatically lower health care costs – Higher household income due to the large drop in costs – More U.S. jobs for the constituents of legislators via higher business profits that will result from the lower labor costs (resulting from lower health care costs) |
Peace of Mind The Peace of mind of … - No major medical bills, the cause for positive experiences - Health care for all with dignity; show card & get care. - Everybody In; Nobody Out. |
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Insurance plan choices & health care restrictions - Yearly review & decision on which insurance plan(s) - Constant worry about the impact of your choice on the availability of care for your loved one(s) - HMO’s: specific physicians, specific hospitals - Restrictions: out-of-network, pre-existing conditions - Restrictions of care based on ability to pay - Wait Times can apply. |
Lifestyle choices and health care choices - New job or loss of job and always have health care - Any profession/employment choices - Leave of absence or early retirement to care for a relative - Selection of physicians, who will maintain their private practices, and selection of medical facilities - Minimal wait times via continued wait time (queue) management as demonstrated in & out of U.S. |
Many Payers - The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) is part of the bureaucracy of over 1300 health insurance companies – Result: complex with many costs (above) |
Single-Payer = One-Payer - One non-profit public agency, accountable to the people - Best version of non-profit health insurance - Result: simple with minimal costs (below) See: Improved Medicare for All for a comparison between the Original Medicare Plan to Improved Medicare for All |
Basis: Profits Free-Market Principles - The only free-market high-income country with a free-market basis is the United States – Assuring profits for investors – Result: astonishingly poor health: U.S. life expectancy 30th in the world (50th as per CIA); U.S. rank of 19th of 19 in minimizing deaths due to preventable diseases |
Basis: Caring Principle of Social Solidarity - All other free-market high-income countries have non-profit national health insurance - Assuring health care for all - Result: healthier society, including the workforce: - More people will be able to go to the doctor - More preventive & wellness care from physicians |
Very poor efficiency – About 69% estimated efficiency – About 31% spent on administrative functions Managed, influenced, and/or operated by many: – Over 1300 private insurance companies – Multiple federal government programs – Fifty states with their programs – Influence of corporate lobbyists – Large billing staffs in hospitals & physician offices – fund-raisers by friends, co-workers, relatives, charities |
Excellent efficiency – About 95% or higher estimated efficiency Managed by one public agency: - Run by regional boards with people with appropriate backgrounds and expertise, not political appointees - Not run by day-to-day debates of U.S. and state legislators Efficiency impact on physicians: - more job satisfaction - lower office overhead - more time with patients - more students wanting to be doctors. |
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Additional Information.
The FEHBP is listed at this website within government bureaucracy.
As a result of the similarities between the FEHBP and the overall current U.S. method of paying for health care, the above table is a special version of the comparison of current health insurance to Improved Medicare for All.
The FEHBP is part of the health care benefits that are available to members of the U.S. Congress.
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