Health Insurance Proposal - Contact Your Representatives

Stephen Barr's column of March 11 in The Washington Post talked about a government health insurance proposal sponsored by Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL) that would extend health coverage for children of federal employees from age 22 to 25.

"At a House hearing last week, Davis announced plans for legislation to change the age restriction in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. He said young adults are the fastest-growing age group among the uninsured, and that many 22-year-olds are in temporary positions and low-wage jobs and find it difficult to afford health care."

According to Barr's column, Davis who is chairman of the House federal workforce subcommittee said that raising the maximum age for dependent coverage "will increase worker morale" and helps create "a more family-friendly environment for federal employees."

Even if you have no children at this point, this is a proposal that deserves our support. One day, we may have young adult children ourselves, and health insurance would be one less thing to worry about especially at a time when these kids are starting out on their careers. If you are in the Foreign Service, this would be a much welcomed development, especially as young adult children often visit the employees at their overseas assignments.

You can read the entire text of H.R. 5550 here. Contact your representative today to request their support for this proposal. If you have never written to your elected representatives before, you can check this guide on how to write to Congress and this one on how to write effective letters to your representatives. Foreign Service employees might also want to read the writing tips from AFSA here.