Check details in health-care bill

The Daily Progress on June 19 included a letter to the editor that began, “I am writing today… in support of a single-carrier-healthcare-plan for our country and all of its citizens.” The all was emphasized.

In the Wall Street Journal of the same day is a column by Betsy McCaughey, former lieutenant governor of New York, headlined “Dissecting the Kennedy Health Bill.” It contains this statement: “[The bill] specifically exempts members of Congress (along with federal employees); the exemptions are in section 3116.” I would recommend that anyone interested in the future of your health insurance program should read Ms. McCaughey’s column.

The column is frightening reading, and the provision to exempt Congress and federal employees is really no surprise. I actually would have been surprised if such an exemption was not included.

The House of Representa-tives just passed a bill with provisions for federal employees to receive “up to four to eight weeks paid personal leave.” This, of course, would be in addition to their already generous benefits.

Most businesses would be hard pressed to be able to afford paid vacation and such generous personal leave and stay in business. But the federal government has no such concern.

It does not have to worry about where the income will come from and whether it can be profitable. It has only to pass a law and, presto, the income is there — from the rest of us paying our taxes.

A single-payer plan may seem good on the surface, but when you start looking at the details, as I mentioned, it is frightening, unless of course you are a federal employee and then you have no worries. Your benefits are protected.

How about having whatever health insurance plan is mandated by Congress and the Obama administration to be truly required to cover all Americans, including Congress and federal employees — no exceptions? Let’s see if they will pass such legislation.