Q&A: Are families of Congress members covered by public or private medical insurance?

Q. When a member of Congress or his family has a medical problem, is that taken care of through public or private medical insurance, and who handles the paperwork?

— Sylvia Teasley, Canton

A. Members of Congress are eligible to receive the same health benefits that are made available to all federal employees, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. The same office handles pensions, life insurance and flexible spending accounts.

Medical coverage is handled under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, which is described on the program’s Web site as offering “the widest selection of health plans in the country.” Members of Congress are responsible for their own premiums and their own paperwork, though office staffers will most often handle that chore.

In general, lawmakers wind up paying slightly less in doctors’ fees than the national average but pay slightly more in premiums, according to a recent story in USA Today. Citing a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the paper reported premiums for federal employees run 13 percent above the national norm.

Lawmakers also are eligible to receive hospital care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., or the National Naval Medical Center in nearby Bethesda. Both facilities are federally subsidized. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for instance, underwent a bypass surgery at Bethesda six years ago.

For on-site care, a physician is on call at the Capitol for a small additional fee.