Health care for he, but not for thee

Blue America PAC has been running health care hypocrite ads against some GOPers who voted for repeal of health care reform out of "fiscal concern" but then take the taxpayer subsidized benefits for themselves. Seems they only got the ad on NJ Rep Lance half right.

The good news for at least one of those congressmen is that Blue America got it wrong. It turns out that Republican Rep. Leonard Lance of New Jersey had, in fact, turned down his federal benefits. Thus, the Blue America ads were not accurate.

The bad news is that the reason Rep. Lance turned down the federal benefits is because he’s already getting a better policy at a much better deal from the State of New Jersey. As a retiree from the state senate, he qualified for a free Cadillac style health care plan the state provides for retirees and their families (he does have to pay co-pays but no premiums) for life. [...]

Lance receives family health coverage that is free except for co-pays, the state Department of Treasury confirmed Friday. The former state senator, assemblyman and Kean administration official qualified for retirement in 2006, his 25th year of service. He retired in January 2009, when he moved on to Washington, and enrolled in the state’s free health plan for retirees.

Guess he's not worried about Christie's threat to cut those "lavish retiree benefits" in the next budget. I'm guessing that will only apply to the union workers, not to the political class.