A story on the website of National Public Radio this morning explores a great question: What kind of health insurance do the presidential candidates have?

 

Reporter Julie Rovner dicovered a few interesting things:

 

• Universal coverage candidate Dennis Kucinich does not offer health insurance to members of his staff.
• Sen. John McCain is the most lavishly covered, with insurance through the Veterans Administration, his job as a Senator, and through his wife's plan at work--a good thing, since he has twice had melanoma. 
• Republicans Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and Fred  Thomspon declined to identify their insurance carriers. Romney, who under the Massachusetts law he signed as governor, is required to have insurance.
• Hillary Clinton is insured by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan--as spouse of a former president. Of course, her job as Senator gives her access to the same insurance.
• Barack Obama and Kucinich are covered by the same federal plan. John Edwards and family are covered by Blue Cross, offered by his campaign both to the candidate and staff.

A good and fair question: Would most Americans have coverage as good as the candidates' under the reform plans they offer?