While politicians on Capitol Hill debate on the best way to make health insurance more accessible, there is a growing problem; the number of government employees without health insurance is rising. These government employees are not CIA or DEA or from any other kind of government agency. These individuals are hired as private contractors to perform menial services for other government employees who receive full benefits. One instance concerned a woman who worked as a cashier in the cafeteria in a federal building. She is in her mid-forty’s, overweight and had difficulty walking. She did not understand she was sick until she was laid off and became eligible for a federal insurance program. After being diagnosed with MS, she is no longer able to work and is restricted to a wheel chair.

            The government began outsourcing these positions to cut costs. Other positions such as security guards and cleaning crews are also hired as private contractors and receive minimal wages which leave them without benefits. According to a law from 1965, private contractors are entitled to receive benefits or cash equivalents. But some employees don’t receive either of these compensations to cover the cost of health insurance. Many of these employees could never afford the benefits of healthcare since they make as little as $7 an hour. These government employees are left helpless without any benefits to protect them and their families.