Fuck its silent in here.......

[thehawk]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

OK, for temp jobs or admins or even entry-level analysts there may be a probationary period.  This is the United States Congress we are talking about here.

The guy doesn't get sworn in until January.  So he's not on the payroll until then, right?

Yes. He's sworn in 1/3 and the health insurance doesn't kick in until Groundhog Day. That's his beef.

I have a hard time a politician doesn't have enough money to pay for his healthcare for a month. I may be obtuse (or is that obese) but I dunno

Again, didn't the politician ask to BUY the month of health care from the government, and they said they had no way to do this? And if the government can't even serve a Congressman, how do you think they'll serve you?

Because, Teej, you are a big fan of allowing individuals the option of buying insurance from a public body instead of an insurer?


And its not like he or his family is going bare.  The government told him what many employers tell their employees, go purchase COBRA coverage from your prior employer for the period.  Of course COBRA is only an option because its a guvermint requirement as well.

[Gilgamesh]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

Backing up for a second. The government isn't "doing" health insurance for Congressmen. This isn't Medicare - the government is not the insurance provider. Government employees actually have more choice through the FEHB than I do through my employer. My employer chooses one insurance provider and I'm stuck with them. Government shlubs like Gil get to choose among several different providers. More choice = a better deal for the employees. If that's not efficient I don't know what is.

All you did there was make an argument for 1) delinking employment and health insurance and 2) getting rid of the stupid state insurance monopolies.

You mean like some sort of health insurance exchange?  Where people can buy whatever insurance they want?

Why does it have to be an "exchange"?  Is there some sort of life insurance exchange?  A Property & Casualty exchange?  Why can't it just be, say, insurance companies offering a line of products, and customers buying the ones they want?

So, what would be a more efficient way of comparing the costs and benefits of each plan?  Going to each company, individually, and finding out what they had to offer, or having a one-stop location to access all of this information?

[R-V]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

Backing up for a second. The government isn't "doing" health insurance for Congressmen. This isn't Medicare - the government is not the insurance provider. Government employees actually have more choice through the FEHB than I do through my employer. My employer chooses one insurance provider and I'm stuck with them. Government shlubs like Gil get to choose among several different providers. More choice = a better deal for the employees. If that's not efficient I don't know what is.

All you did there was make an argument for 1) delinking employment and health insurance and 2) getting rid of the stupid state insurance monopolies.

You mean like some sort of health insurance exchange?  Where people can buy whatever insurance they want?

Why does it have to be an "exchange"?  Is there some sort of life insurance exchange?  A Property & Casualty exchange?  Why can't it just be, say, insurance companies offering a line of products, and customers buying the ones they want?

So, what would be a more efficient way of comparing the costs and benefits of each plan?  Going to each company, individually, and finding out what they had to offer, or having a one-stop location to access all of this information?

morph preferred the old days before Amazon came along - much easier for the consumer to go to separate websites to buy books, DVDs, and dick cream.

[Bort]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

Backing up for a second. The government isn't "doing" health insurance for Congressmen. This isn't Medicare - the government is not the insurance provider. Government employees actually have more choice through the FEHB than I do through my employer. My employer chooses one insurance provider and I'm stuck with them. Government shlubs like Gil get to choose among several different providers. More choice = a better deal for the employees. If that's not efficient I don't know what is.

All you did there was make an argument for 1) delinking employment and health insurance and 2) getting rid of the stupid state insurance monopolies.

You mean like some sort of health insurance exchange?  Where people can buy whatever insurance they want?

Why does it have to be an "exchange"?  Is there some sort of life insurance exchange?  A Property & Casualty exchange?  Why can't it just be, say, insurance companies offering a line of products, and customers buying the ones they want?

So, what would be a more efficient way of comparing the costs and benefits of each plan?  Going to each company, individually, and finding out what they had to offer, or having a one-stop location to access all of this information?

morph preferred the old days before Amazon came along - much easier for the consumer to go to separate websites to buy books, DVDs, and dick cream.

To be fair, Amazon isn't exactly a government site.

[R-V]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

Backing up for a second. The government isn't "doing" health insurance for Congressmen. This isn't Medicare - the government is not the insurance provider. Government employees actually have more choice through the FEHB than I do through my employer. My employer chooses one insurance provider and I'm stuck with them. Government shlubs like Gil get to choose among several different providers. More choice = a better deal for the employees. If that's not efficient I don't know what is.

All you did there was make an argument for 1) delinking employment and health insurance and 2) getting rid of the stupid state insurance monopolies.

You mean like some sort of health insurance exchange?  Where people can buy whatever insurance they want?

Why does it have to be an "exchange"?  Is there some sort of life insurance exchange?  A Property & Casualty exchange?  Why can't it just be, say, insurance companies offering a line of products, and customers buying the ones they want?

So, what would be a more efficient way of comparing the costs and benefits of each plan?  Going to each company, individually, and finding out what they had to offer, or having a one-stop location to access all of this information?

morph preferred the old days before Amazon came along - much easier for the consumer to go to separate websites to buy books, DVDs, and dick cream.

To be fair, Amazon isn't exactly a government site.

That's what they want you to think, sucker.

Seriously though - the concept of the exchange is the same basic idea as Amazon. A one-stop place where you can compare similar products from different companies, read consumer reviews/ratings, and make decisions based on that information.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

Backing up for a second. The government isn't "doing" health insurance for Congressmen. This isn't Medicare - the government is not the insurance provider. Government employees actually have more choice through the FEHB than I do through my employer. My employer chooses one insurance provider and I'm stuck with them. Government shlubs like Gil get to choose among several different providers. More choice = a better deal for the employees. If that's not efficient I don't know what is.

All you did there was make an argument for 1) delinking employment and health insurance and 2) getting rid of the stupid state insurance monopolies.

You mean like some sort of health insurance exchange?  Where people can buy whatever insurance they want?

Why does it have to be an "exchange"?  Is there some sort of life insurance exchange?  A Property & Casualty exchange?  Why can't it just be, say, insurance companies offering a line of products, and customers buying the ones they want?

So, what would be a more efficient way of comparing the costs and benefits of each plan?  Going to each company, individually, and finding out what they had to offer, or having a one-stop location to access all of this information?

morph preferred the old days before Amazon came along - much easier for the consumer to go to separate websites to buy books, DVDs, and dick cream.

To be fair, Amazon isn't exactly a government site.

That's what they want you to think, sucker.

Seriously though - the concept of the exchange is the same basic idea as Amazon. A one-stop place where you can compare similar products from different companies, read consumer reviews/ratings, and make decisions based on that information.

Listen... If the market (and all of the oligopolistic market incumbents thereof) wanted us to be able to easily find and compare deals on insurance, the market would have provided a way.

[Brownie]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

Backing up for a second. The government isn't "doing" health insurance for Congressmen. This isn't Medicare - the government is not the insurance provider. Government employees actually have more choice through the FEHB than I do through my employer. My employer chooses one insurance provider and I'm stuck with them. Government shlubs like Gil get to choose among several different providers. More choice = a better deal for the employees. If that's not efficient I don't know what is.

All you did there was make an argument for 1) delinking employment and health insurance and 2) getting rid of the stupid state insurance monopolies.

You mean like some sort of health insurance exchange?  Where people can buy whatever insurance they want?

Why does it have to be an "exchange"?  Is there some sort of life insurance exchange?  A Property & Casualty exchange?  Why can't it just be, say, insurance companies offering a line of products, and customers buying the ones they want?

So, what would be a more efficient way of comparing the costs and benefits of each plan?  Going to each company, individually, and finding out what they had to offer, or having a one-stop location to access all of this information?

morph preferred the old days before Amazon came along - much easier for the consumer to go to separate websites to buy books, DVDs, and dick cream.

To be fair, Amazon isn't exactly a government site.

That's what they want you to think, sucker.

Seriously though - the concept of the exchange is the same basic idea as Amazon. A one-stop place where you can compare similar products from different companies, read consumer reviews/ratings, and make decisions based on that information.

Yes, if the stooges in the private sector could have thought of something like that.

Seriously, didn't know this about the g-men and health insurance. Good on them for handing it off to the private sector and giving their employees choice.

[Gilgamesh]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

Backing up for a second. The government isn't "doing" health insurance for Congressmen. This isn't Medicare - the government is not the insurance provider. Government employees actually have more choice through the FEHB than I do through my employer. My employer chooses one insurance provider and I'm stuck with them. Government shlubs like Gil get to choose among several different providers. More choice = a better deal for the employees. If that's not efficient I don't know what is.

All you did there was make an argument for 1) delinking employment and health insurance and 2) getting rid of the stupid state insurance monopolies.

You mean like some sort of health insurance exchange?  Where people can buy whatever insurance they want?

Why does it have to be an "exchange"?  Is there some sort of life insurance exchange?  A Property & Casualty exchange?  Why can't it just be, say, insurance companies offering a line of products, and customers buying the ones they want?

So, what would be a more efficient way of comparing the costs and benefits of each plan?  Going to each company, individually, and finding out what they had to offer, or having a one-stop location to access all of this information?

morph preferred the old days before Amazon came along - much easier for the consumer to go to separate websites to buy books, DVDs, and dick cream.

To be fair, Amazon isn't exactly a government site.

That's what they want you to think, sucker.

Seriously though - the concept of the exchange is the same basic idea as Amazon. A one-stop place where you can compare similar products from different companies, read consumer reviews/ratings, and make decisions based on that information.

Yes, if the stooges in the private sector could have thought of something like that.

Seriously, didn't know this about the g-men and health insurance. Good on them for handing it off to the private sector and giving their employees choice.

Do most people assume federal employees have some kind of government-run health insurance system?  I'm being completely serious.

[Gilgamesh]

DPD, but this fucking douchebag can go to hell: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/bryan_fischer_weve_feminized_the_medal_of_honor_by.php

[Brownie]

DPD, but this fucking douchebag can go to hell: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/bryan_fischer_weve_feminized_the_medal_of_honor_by.php

Not to worry. I think he punched his own ticket.

And to your previous question, yes I was under that impression, and the Politico article helped reinforce it.

[Gilgamesh]

DPD, but this fucking douchebag can go to hell: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/bryan_fischer_weve_feminized_the_medal_of_honor_by.php

Not to worry. I think he punched his own ticket.

And to your previous question, yes I was under that impression, and the Politico article helped reinforce it.

The only groups of people to whom the federal government provides its own type of health insurance and/or direct health care: Native Americans, poor people, old people, children under 26, and veterans.

[SKO]

DPD, but this fucking douchebag can go to hell: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/bryan_fischer_weve_feminized_the_medal_of_honor_by.php

Not to worry. I think he punched his own ticket.

And to your previous question, yes I was under that impression, and the Politico article helped reinforce it.

The only groups of people to whom the federal government provides its own type of health insurance and/or direct health care: Native Americans, poor people, old people, children under 26, and veterans.

Guh. We give health care to the savages? There was a time when you conquered somebody and they stayed conquered.

[CBStew]

Wonderful: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45181.html

Que Morph with...something.

Meh... it's just a non sequitir, really.  A nonstory. The guy was surprised that his employer didn't cover him from day 1; pretty much every employer in the private sector covers from day 1.

I'm just surprised that Gil linked a story not involving the Palins.  THAT is noteworthy.

I have not noticed that to be the case.

Was it a case where you ahd a 60 or 90-day probationary period? Because as soon as the employer tells the private insurance company to cover an employee, said employee is covered.

That all said, why should a government agency be doing health insurance for employees when there are businesses that could do a more efficient job of it?

Backing up for a second. The government isn't "doing" health insurance for Congressmen. This isn't Medicare - the government is not the insurance provider. Government employees actually have more choice through the FEHB than I do through my employer. My employer chooses one insurance provider and I'm stuck with them. Government shlubs like Gil get to choose among several different providers. More choice = a better deal for the employees. If that's not efficient I don't know what is.

All you did there was make an argument for 1) delinking employment and health insurance and 2) getting rid of the stupid state insurance monopolies.

You mean like some sort of health insurance exchange?  Where people can buy whatever insurance they want?

Why does it have to be an "exchange"?  Is there some sort of life insurance exchange?  A Property & Casualty exchange?  Why can't it just be, say, insurance companies offering a line of products, and customers buying the ones they want?

So, what would be a more efficient way of comparing the costs and benefits of each plan?  Going to each company, individually, and finding out what they had to offer, or having a one-stop location to access all of this information?

morph preferred the old days before Amazon came along - much easier for the consumer to go to separate websites to buy books, DVDs, and dick cream.

To be fair, Amazon isn't exactly a government site.

That's what they want you to think, sucker.

Seriously though - the concept of the exchange is the same basic idea as Amazon. A one-stop place where you can compare similar products from different companies, read consumer reviews/ratings, and make decisions based on that information.

Yes, if the stooges in the private sector could have thought of something like that.

Seriously, didn't know this about the g-men and health insurance. Good on them for handing it off to the private sector and giving their employees choice.

Do most people assume federal employees have some kind of government-run health insurance system?  I'm being completely serious.

This guy is an ignorant clown.  Most employers pay their employees after they have worked, not in advance.   The first paycheck comes at the end of the first month of employment, when it is determined whether the new employee has worked a sufficient number of hours to qualify.   Then the check is sent to the carrier to provide coverage.  

[Gilgamesh]

DPD, but this fucking douchebag can go to hell: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/bryan_fischer_weve_feminized_the_medal_of_honor_by.php

Not to worry. I think he punched his own ticket.

And to your previous question, yes I was under that impression, and the Politico article helped reinforce it.

The only groups of people to whom the federal government provides its own type of health insurance and/or direct health care: Native Americans, poor people, old people, children under 26, and veterans.

Guh. We give health care to the savages? There was a time when you conquered somebody and they stayed conquered.

The IHS, just another garden variety form of socialism, I guess.

[morpheus]

This guy is an ignorant clown.  Most employers pay their employees after they have worked, not in advance.   The first paycheck comes at the end of the first month of employment, when it is determined whether the new employee has worked a sufficient number of hours to qualify.   Then the check is sent to the carrier to provide coverage.  

No.  Every job I've had since 1996 (before then I didn't have insurance), I've been covered since my first day of employment.