Posted on 11/16/2010 9:40:40 AM PST by Libloather
GOP frosh: Where's my health care?
By GLENN THRUSH
Updated: 11/16/10 6:19 AM EST
A conservative Maryland physician elected to Congress on an anti-Obamacare platform surprised fellow freshmen at a Monday orientation session by demanding to know why his government-subsidized health care plan takes a month to kick in.
Republican Andy Harris, an anesthesiologist who defeated freshman Democrat Frank Kratovil on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, reacted incredulously when informed that federal law mandated that his government-subsidized health care policy would take effect on Feb. 1 – 28 days after his Jan. 3rd swearing-in.
“He stood up and asked the two ladies who were answering questions why it had to take so long, what he would do without 28 days of health care,” said a congressional staffer who saw the exchange. The benefits session, held behind closed doors, drew about 250 freshman members, staffers and family members to the Capitol Visitors Center auditorium late Monday morning,”.
“Harris then asked if he could purchase insurance from the government to cover the gap,” added the aide, who was struck by the similarity to Harris’s request and the public option he denounced as a gateway to socialized medicine.
Harris, a Maryland state senator who works at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and several hospitals on the Eastern Shore, also told the audience, “This is the only employer I’ve ever worked for where you don’t get coverage the first day you are employed,” his spokeswoman Anna Nix told POLITICO.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
Everyone who gets a new job should check out the healthcare options carefully. Wouldn’t you?
Most physicians are members of Associations which lobby Congress on their behalf. I found this interesting blog site which illustrates the divide within the medical profession as it relates to Obamacare. Stunning and scary!
http://advocacyblog.acponline.org/2009/09/obama-tells-public-what-obamacare.html
> “This is the only employer I’ve ever worked for where you don’t get coverage the first day you are employed,”
I have NEVER worked for an employer that gave coverage the first day of employment. Actually, one month is the lowest I have ever had.
Harris is a pretty solid conservative. Outside of Baltimore, and Montgomery & Prince George’s Counties, Maryland is conservative. Harris’ CD does not touch those areas.
He was asking a question about coverage from his employer...who *happens* to be the federal government. Yawn.
No one wants a gap in their healthcare coverage. I wonder why he just doesn’t extend the coverage he has now. Harris is far from being a RINO.
Hey, dude. This is not government health care. It is employer based healthcare insurance just like most of the 85% of Americans have who carry health insurance. You can chose between major carriers like Carefirst or other plans.
Valid question: Why DO companies and the government make you wait until the first of the month following 30 days employment anyway.
I would have thought this would have been an item that would easily be changed and since we worry about the 50 million uninsured, a large part of that number ARE these people inbetween jobs waiting for coverage.
This means new employees have to worry about a gap in coverage when leaving old employment unless they play the COBRA game - which is not paying the premium UNLESS you have an illness or claim.
You are immediately believing what Politico says? Why?
His question was a general one of WHY do employees have to wait for the first of the month following 30 days of employment to obtain coverage and he thought it was because of the slowness of the staff.
At almost every business, you have to wait until the first of the month following 30 days employment... why?
The gap is for FORCE people to buy COBRA. They want that money too.
“The gap is for FORCE people to buy COBRA. They want that money too”
BS.
You are so full of it.
If they wanted to “FORCE” people to buy cobra they wouldn’t have allowed the law to be written to allow you to wait and buy it retroactively if you have a claim.
You are so full of it.
First of all I don’t look at the newpaper that provides the information. If I did that then why not just go to the newspaper instead of reading them on Free Republic. Second of all if all employees have to wait 30 days than why did he question. I don’t know the dude at all and you guys claim he is conservative and I believe it so what is the deal. He asked a stupid question and should have been called on it. Why are we playing political correct around here not questioning conservatives on questions. This is so typical sometimes. This clearly is why we lost the House and Senate in 2006 because we ALWAYS give conservatives a pass no matter what. Oh well I guess we will repeat history AGAIN. Will we ever learn????? Oh by the way yelling and screaming at me (I know you didn’t) is not going to help anything.
Sounds like libs are trying to smear this guy. Looks like “conservatives” posting here took the bait.
It was clear to me upon reading his question, that he was putting the government on the hot seat in order to ridicule them for being inconsistent on healthcare. He was not being serious.
“What a goof. Total idiot. We have some clear dumb freaks we elect. How hypocritical can you be. I don’t believe for one moment that he is a conservative Republican....a conservative Republican would not be this stupid. Being from Maryland, at best he is a RINO.”
Please,consider the the Politico source before making rash statements. I am sure we will hear the correct story soon. If the story holds up to scrutiny, we will all join you in criticizing any and every RINO.
Will do. I did not see the source before posting. But thanks for the post.
Really? That’s terrible! In what industry do you work?
Probably so that people don't get jobs with insurance from day one, submit for a massive claim, and then leave?
Anyone intent on that (submitting a massive claim) would wait for the coverage anyway So I don’t buy that. Also, since there is no longer a pre-existing condition exclusion - it shouldn’t be more than a week wait (to reduce paperwork for those that work a day and then decide it isn’t for them).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.