Congress Members and Free Medical Coverage

[Anmar]

apparantly, according to the original article, the HMO plan that congressmen get through the government is the same as that of all federal employees, which the exception of access to the naval facilities.

[W. Gray]

He was considering the care provided by the military to congress people as equivalent to an HMO.

But, he was also talking about cafeteria medical plans available to all Congressmen for themselves and their families and to federal employees of which genuine HMOs are a part, including a number of Kaiser plans.

Congress calls it cafeteria plans because there is no one plan. There are several hundred priced from cheap for lesser care to pricey for covers everything. Last time I checked 8 Kansas companies offered medical insurance to Congress and federal employees. There are so many plans because insurance companies would howl if Congress limited it to one or a few. The Congressman or federal employee selects the plan they need somewhat like a cafeteria.

Federal employees overseas do get medical care from military doctors and hospitals but the military bills the employee's medical plan for all doctor visits and hospital stays. Medicines are billed to the employee.