Congress must recognize that an important distinction existsbetween the place of employment as the convenient place to obtaininsurance and making tax relief to families contingent uponemployer sponsorship of their health insurance.
Members of Congress, their staffs, and approximately 9 millionother federal workers, retirees, and their families in the42-year-old Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) areable, unlike most americans, to choose a plan that best meets theirneeds from almost 200 private options nationwide, includingfee-for-service, preferred provider organization, and managed careplans, and those sponsored by unions and employee organizations.
President Bush, in developing his own legislative reform proposalfor Medicare, can build on the best of the Breaux-Frist proposals,which promise a good start to this year's debate on Medicarereform.