Chuck Grassley: If You Want Good Health Insurance, Work For The Government (VIDEO)

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has a brilliant plan for fixing the health care system: If you want quality coverage, "go work for the Federal government."

At least, that was the answer that Grassley offered up at a town hall meeting in Waukon, Iowa on Tuesday after a constituent asked the senator why he is unable to find good, affordable health insurance like the kind senators get.

Despite the fact that Grassley himself enjoys the benefits of the federal government's excellent public insurance policy, the senator has been avocal opponent of including a public option in any health care plan.

Grassley's stance, incidentally, flies in the face of the opinions of his own Iowa constituents, a majority of whom say they would like to see a public health insurance option.

After sharing his family's personal struggle with the burden of high health care costs, an audience member asked, "My question is... why is your insurance so much cheaper than my insurance and so better than my insurance?"

The question made Grassley cranky.

He responded, first, by suggesting the questioner "go work for John Deere," since they "don't pay anything" for their insurance plan.

When the questioner refused to let the senator wriggle out of answering the question, Grassley revealed how little he knew about his own insurance plan.

Another audience member had to help the senator out by describing the details of the plan. After she finished, the original questioner again asked, "Okay, so how come I can't have the same thing you have?"

Grassley's response: "You can. Just go work for the Federal government."

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Comments

[KLordsha]

lmao.. He didn't really say that did he? Lol The gift that keeps on giving. Thanks Chuck!

[Altruth]

Arrogant bast..d!

[jasongrundy]

Sounds like Iowa needs a new Senator

[DrPneumann]

Spoken like a true public servant.

[ljc]

He is not a servant. He is the Master, we are the servants. Everyone unemployed in Iowa should send him their resume.

[Hypatia620]

I suggest everyone send their resume and/or job request to Sen. Grassley.

[plzchuteme]

It sounds to me that, in Sen Grassley's incredibly thoughtless non-answer to a legitimate question, he was promoting 100% employment by the government as an answer to peoples' health care concerns. Wouldn't that kind of like...inc­rease the size of government? Which is it, Chuck? Big government or small government? Or maybe it's just that you never thought about it, or could form a coherent opinion, or maybe it's just that you don't really give a rip. You have yours, so pi$$ on everyone else. Iowa has a lot of farmers which is, in fact, a lot of small businesses. They all are responsible for their own health care, and for negotiating their own health insurance. What chance do they have in dealing with the providers as individuals. There IS no negotiation. They are told IF they can get insurance, if and where they can be treated, what can and will be covered (shifting sands) and how much it will cost. Oh yes, the uncertainty that you can be dropped like a hot potato and have no redress. All the man was asking is why he can't get the same consideration as yourself.

[WASanford]

Absolutely! And before it's over, our private health care system will have life and death decisions being made for us by some guy in a cubicle in India. That should frighten us more than anything a public option might portend.

[foxistoofunny]

There are no words for this! @#%{[

[Altruth]

Agree, LOL!

[Artos]

The Health Care Plan that the Congressman gets is far better than that which is offered to many employees of the Federal Government. The best health care I ever got was when I was in the military, but that was because they like to keep their investments healthy. My wife though works for the Postal Service which last I remember was still attached to the U.S. Government. Every time their contract comes up for renewal they get shafted out of yet a little more on their health plans. Why is that, because these health care plans are care of Commercial Health Organizations, who will every time you turn around find a way to diminish the services they provide. Don't even get me started on the dental part of the health care because that is virtually nil anymore. So when people are told go work for the Government by snide sarcastic people like Assley they should realize that he knows very little about the rest of the Government. His only concern is seeing to it that he is well taken care of, but then he deserves it since he does so much for Americans.

[Peabodies]

Best case for Single Payer. Perhaps Senator Grassley will read it:

http://www.ips-dc.org/articles/hey_progressives_join_forces_to_fight_the_health_insurance_industry

[Macready]

doubt he knows how to read . . .

[yakmeat]

This needs to find its way into the popular media. Every discussion or meeting with anyone from Congress should include this same question. A few follow-ups would be good too, like:

1. Why is the government able to get such a better deal? (Answer - volume makes for a bigger risk pool.)

2. If that relatively small fraction of the population (government workers) can create a pool big enough to curtail costs, wouldn't a bigger pool do even better?

3. Isn't the biggest pool possible made up of everyone in the country (i.e. single payer)?

[mad as heck]

I don't understand why people keep saying they want the same plan as federal employees. It's just another group health insurance plan. If they lose their government job, they lose this insurance, right? The price may be a little lower because the government has more clout, but it still has deductibles, copays, out of pockets, and it doesn't cover everything. As always, you get what you pay for - some of the FEPs for retirees on Medicare pay less in supplementary benefits than Medigap plans from private employers or purchased directly by the Medicare beneficiary.

We should all be careful what we wish for. Any plan that shores up the existing structure where health care access is primarily linked to employment is no kind of reform at all. We need to get rid of that idea which drags down our industry and keeps the profit motive in health care. That's why I don't support the HELP plan, either. This is the moment for reform, and half-measures that push something truly helpful too far down the road just won't do.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

Ah usually goverment employees such as the military their health insurance after awhile is for life even after they leave public service. Even their families can be covered although off base that is difficult to go through the paperwork.

It's better then most HMOs and costs less.

[mad as heck]

Defense Dept. retirees have coverage for life, I doubt that applies to all government workers. Defense Dept. employees and retirees do not have the same plan as federal employees.

[LeftRight]

That's true, if you retire from the military you qualify for Tricare for life, which is a single payer system like medicare. If you don't retire from the military, but are service-connected disabled, then you can utilize the VA system, which is socialized medicine, where they own the doctors too.

If you are any other kind of federal employee, then tough, because you are buying into a private insurance company, although at a more heavily subsidized rate than most private employees.

[unite4change]

Mad as heck, your argument is moot.

[mad as heck]

Why?

[alwqb]

Sen. Grassley says to go work for the federal government. But wouldn't that mean jobs are available and the size of the government increases? The party of "No Big Government" can't have it both ways. On the John Deere front, my father worked for Deere all of his life. He is retired but works part time now at 74 because of the market crash (and my mother). As Deere retirees they had to purchase additional health insurance because Deere cut back on pension benefits. Over 40 years of service and the big promise of retirement without worry. Bad response Sen. Grassley.

[indabush]

Can this TAMPON be any more insensitive about the struggles of Americans? Good Lawd I wish I was at that town hall so that I could ask him that question, and I wouldn't preface it with that "with all due respect senator...­." b/s either - because he certainly don't deserve any respect.

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

That is an insult to tampons. Tampons provide a messy but necessary function. Grassy is just a mess that doesn't serve any purpose to embarass real Republicans (who pretty much all have left the party) and Iowans but most of them think an embarassment is a good thing due to all their family reunions/weddings.

[mirandaphd]

Kudos to the person who asked the right question repeatedly. I wish we could do away with the health insurance for these elected officials and lets see if they can get anything better and cost effective on the market.

[bebecca]

WOW Chuck, thanks for the tip! I'm unemployed and would love to work for the federal govt. but guess what? It's almost impossible to get a federal job unless you're already a federal employee. There is a little more opportunity for veterans. It really pisses me off when a job isn't open to everyone, am I not a taxpayer too? Chuck, can I send you my resume?