We Get the Perks, You Don't

Gov. Rick Scott, a critic of the federal health care overhaul, is paying less than $400 a year for health insurance for himself and his wife.

While Scott is accepting no salary for his job as governor, the multimillionaire and former hospital chain executive chose to enroll in the taxpayer-subsidized health insurance plan offered by the state of Florida.

Scott is among nearly 32,000 people in state government who pay relatively low health insurance premiums. It's a perk that is available to high-ranking state officials, including those in top management at all state agencies. Nearly all 160 state legislators are also enrolled in the program that costs just $8.34 a month for individual coverage and $30 a month for family coverage.

Brian Burgess, a spokesman for Scott, confirmed the governor and his wife are enrolled in the state health insurance plan, but refused to discuss why Scott signed up. He called the governor's health care coverage "private matters."

The health insurance coverage provided to Scott used to be free for top state officials until 2010. Rank-and-file state workers pay $50 a month for individual coverage and $180 a month for family coverage. Married couples working in state government also pay the same amount as Scott and legislators.
~ from Scott Getting Low-Cost Health Insurance from State by Gary Fineout ~

Okay, this isn't really news. The already well off feel they are entitled to perks that aren't available to others and few of them make any bones about it. If you want perks like this one, they say, nothing is stopping you from becoming filthy rich.

Still, it is more than galling to hear corporate execs, for example, bitch and moan about poor people receiving food stamps or welfare checks, when they receive their own assortment of subsidies, tax abatements and other tasty handouts.