Richardson Touts Expansion of Federal Benefits Program
Presidential candidate and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) on Saturday in New Hampshire said that, as president, he would seek to expand eligibility for the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to all U.S. residents, Foster's Daily Democrat reports.
At a campaign event in Barrington, N.H., Richardson said that he would "mandate that every American could purchase the ... federal health plan that every Congressman gets," adding that "you could buy into" FEHBP.
According to the Richardson campaign Web site, FEHBP offers the "widest selection of health plans in the country," and the federal government "pays 72% of the average premium towards the total cost of ... your premium but not more than 75% of the total premium for any plan."
Richardson also said that, as president, he would seek to reduce the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 55 (Krauss, Foster's Daily Democrat, 5/7).