Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-01-12

health insurance program for @
Ito Congress last year.
! Instead. it is now sounding {
limited Catastrophe type OF
health insurance. which would be
available to Government workers
in cases of major illnesses run
ming into years.
This type Of insurance would
he free to Federal employees and
their families under the proposal,
;. Federal employe leaders. how
ever, for the most part. are cool
to the proposal. They would like
a comprehensive health insur-
ance program for Government
workers and their families at a.
moderate cost to employees.
Plan Too Complicated
The administration feels its
comprehensive health insurance
plan is much too complicated and
would be an administrative
imonstrosity to operate. Under
the original program. Federal
employees would have received
widespread health and medical
insurance benefits at cost toI
them Of $104 a year (if they have
ifamilies) or $39 annually. III
single.
The employees would have had
heir choices of various types Of
programs. This led to pickering
among the various insurance and
health insurance companies over
the share of business each would
get. In addition, Federal em-I
Iploye groups objected to the pro-
posed cost for Government work.
ers. They wanted the cost cut
considerably.
! AS a result, the administration
has sounded out employee leaders
on a plan to furnish Federal
employees Catastrophe" type
health insurance. The insurance
covering medical and hospital
costs would begin when the COW
Ierage protection of their pres
Ient policies ended. The proposed
insurance would be worth as
much as $1,000 a year. 1t has
not been decided how long this
protection would run.
Coverage Called Scimpy
Federal employe leaders OBJ
ject to the plan on the grounds
that it would not provide much
help to Government workers
who now do not have any health
medical insurance policies. They
declare that these employees
would have to pay costly medical
bills before they became eligible
for the type of insurance pro-
posed.
The situation may result in
the health insurance proposal
being held over until next year
in hopes that some workable pro-
gram can be developed out by
that time. One proposal Is that
Federal employees be given GER
tain amount of money to spend
each year on whatever health
insurance they prefer. with the
employe receiving a check for
the amount upon receipt Of his
bill from any private health
group. insurance firm Or en-
ploye organization plan that he
belongs to.
BUREAUCRATIC EUPHEM-
iISMS-Writing in this months
edition Of the Society for Per-
sonnet Administration magazine, |
Names Spector gives the follow
ing list Of bureaucratic euphem-
iSmS:
What They Say: I'VE would
appreciate your furnishing us
information on which to base a
reply" What They Really
Mean: For heavens sake.
please give us some kind of story
to pass on. and 1t had better be
good"
| WITS: There were certain
areas in which our inspector
noted possible Improvements u
, WTRM: las to the following
areas, your program really
stank."
WITS: This program is. of
course. entirely voluntary, butt
your cooperation is solicited -
WTRM: I'VE can't order you to
do this. but If you don't. we1l
make things so miserable for
you that you'll wish you had"
| WITS: The above comments
are offered entirely in a spirit
of helpfulness." /
W1RM: boy, are we glao 10
stick the knife in you" /
WITS: May I say who is call
ing please?" WTRM: Please
tell me who you are. My boss
may not think you're important
enough to talk to-"
WITS: Should there be addi-
tional justification for your re-
quest, we shall be glad, of course.
ito reconsider it." WTRM: If
you are naive enough to be per-
.Sistent about this, We'll keep
answering you this way until you
finally give up"
WITS: I'VE have carefully re-
viewed your suggestion. WTRM: i
We're being nice about this, to
/