Members of Congress will have to use the exchanges

[ProSense]

The Affordable Care Act helps create a competitive private health insurance market through the creation of Affordable Insurance Exchanges. These State-based, competitive marketplaces, which launch in 2014, will provide millions of Americans and small businesses with “one-stop shopping” for affordable coverage. They will also provide the sole venue where Members of Congress will get their health insurance.

http://cciio.cms.gov/programs/exchanges/index.html

Remember when there was a demand that everyone have access to the same health care choices as Congress. There it is.

Between the provisions and transparency, I can imagine that Republicans hate this change.

[Ilsa]

1. I'm glad they have to follow suit.

They need to personally experience what the rest of us go through.

[ProSense]

2. Yeah, and

they'll have to answer to their constituents, who will access to relevant information.

[PoliticAverse]

3. Unless the taxpayers will be paying for everyone to buy insurance through the exchanges...

it's not nearly the same thing.

People wanted the same healthcare Congress gets, not the opportunity to buy the same Insurance policy congress members have.

[ProSense]

4. Huh?

"Unless the taxpayers will be paying for everyone to buy insurance through the exchanges..."

This isn't a comparison to single payer. Members of Congress never had access to single payer.

If the implication is that members of Congress are paid by taxpayers, they have jobs and an employer, it just happens to be the government.

Taxpayers also fund the salaries of all other federal employees.

[PoliticAverse]

6. Exactly. People wanted the same health care Congress gets, not the opportunity to buy the same

insurance Congress has.

People could always buy their own health insurance. Even better policies than Congress has.

Congresses's health policy:
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/health-care-for-members-of-congress/

[ProSense]

7. That

"People wanted the same health care Congress gets, not the opportunity to buy the same nsurance Congress has."

...still makes no sense. Members of Congress have a policy. They will now have to secure that policy via the exchanges.

People could always buy their own health insurance. Even better policies than Congress has.

Congresses's health policy:
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/08/health-care-for-members-of-congress/

What does that mean: They could always buy "better policies than Congress," but wanted what Congress had?

The link you provided simply states that the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program isn't single payer.

Members of Congress will no longer be offered a plan through the FEHBP, they'll have to use the exchanges.

[ProSense]

5. On your edit:

"People wanted the same healthcare Congress gets, not the opportunity to buy the same Insurance policy congress members have. "

What?

[PoliticAverse]

8. "there was a demand that everyone have access to the same health care choices as Congress"

Your implication seems to be that people were complaining that they weren't able to buy the same insurance policy as Congress has,
and now they can because they can buy insurance from the same exchanges that Congress can.

But it wasn't that people wanted to pay for the same insurance policy that Congress has, it was they wanted the same coverage
that Congress has for everyone.

[ProSense]

9. Please explain

"But it wasn't that people wanted to pay for the same insurance policy that Congress has, it was they wanted the same coverage
that Congress has for everyone."

...this. If you purchase a policy, are you saying that you can get better coverage than the policy stipulates?

I mean, are you talking about something other than what the policy covers?

[PoliticAverse]

10. No, I'm saying people wanted everyone to have the same insurance Congress has,

regardless of the persons' ability to pay for that insurance. That's the 'for everyone' part.

[ProSense]

11. There is

No, I'm saying people wanted everyone to have the same insurance Congress has,

regardless of the persons' ability to pay for that insurance. That's the 'for everyone' part.

...a distinction between this and your previous argument. Still, "regardless of the persons' ability to pay for that insurance"?

Yeah, everyone wants single payer, and you still have to pay for it, but that wasn't the demand or the point.

[PoliticAverse]

12. Claiming that "everyone now has access to the same healthcare choices as Congress"...

because Congress must get their health insurance from the exchanges, is like claiming everyone has
access to the same car elevator that Mitt bought because they'll sell one to anybody.

You only really have access to something if you can afford it.

[ProSense]

13. So

Claiming that "everyone now has access to the same healthcare choices as Congress"...

because Congress must get their health insurance from the exchanges, is like claiming everyone has
access to the same car elevator that Mitt bought because they'll sell one to anybody.

You only really have access to something if you can afford it.

...you're refuting the point by claiming that people are not going to be able to "afford it"?

I mean, how do you know? The 83 percent of Americans who now get health care through their employer will have access to the same plans as Congress.

Millions of Americans will be subsidized.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002496395

The fact is the plans are going to be universal and people will have access to the same choices that members of Congress make.

One thing is certain, everyone will be able to see what is being offered and have the ability to shop around.

[flamingdem]

14. The subsidies are pretty generous

I wonder if congress will have to pay for their insurance now and if they will be subsidized or not.

[freshwest]

15. Well, that'll teach 'em!