So far here is what I have: (Congressmen) are part of the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program. They have a choice of between 5 and 10 health plans in each city. Some are HMOs, some are regular insurance with preferred provider programs. They select a plan they like, the federal government pays a large portion of the premium, and they pay the rest. For more expensive plans with a lot of choices of doctors and hospitals and more services, Senators and Congressmen pay more. For the basic plan they pay a little premium.I don't know how much of the premium Castle pays but I think it is a safe bet that he was not very worried about his deductable when he had to go to John's Hopkins for tests after his stroke. And while you and I have to fight with our insurance companies to allow us to see our prefered doctors, I doubt Castle needed to stay "in network" when he got his brainwaves measured.
The fact is, Castle has been living in the upholstered cocoon of elected office since 1966. He does not worry about insurance. Tomorrow the press will fawn all over him like he is some kind of hero. I'm sorry but I don't see it. I think the heros are people who go through what he has with the deck stacked against them. I think the heros are the people who have thier drivers licenses yanked and still somehow make it to therapy across town. The guy who sticks it out in some shitty job because his daughter needs an MRI. That is a hero.