Health Care — NY Times Blogs on Miller at Summit

New York Times Blog Post during President Obama’s all-day Health Care Summit Thursday, February 25, 2010.

12:25 pm, — Representative George Miller, Democrat of California, is explaining how private insurance companies deny coverage, particularly by citing pre-existing medical conditions.

And Mr. Miller offered himself up as Exhibit A, noting that he has two artificial hips, arthritis and a kidney stone. If he had to shop for insurance on the individual market, Mr. Miller said, “I’m dead.”

Mr. Miller is also pointing out the limitations of high-risk insurance pools, one of the core components of the Republicans’ step-by-step alternative approach, noting that anyone who enters a high-risk pools, which tend to provide expensive coverage, has little or no chance of obtaining any other type of coverage.

Mr. Miller’s points were all solid, and no Republican expressed any objection to anything he said.

But Mr. Miller can also rest easy about his own coverage. He’s not up for re-election until November, meaning his coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is good at least through the end of his year.

And in May, he will turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare.