Lots of jobs don't offer group health insurance.

[raccoon]

Now, you may be thinking, "No shit, Raccoon."

But lots of people don't know that. Maybe even some DU'ers don't. Maybe someone who's been retired for years, or who's young and *so far* as always had group health insurance with their job.

Just sayin'.

[ellenfl]

1. fewer and fewer jobs offer group health insurance. if employers

can get away with eliminating it BEFORE universal hc becomes so, well, then the business community will see no need to back universal hc . . . imo. the c of c does not want to buck the insurance companies, after all. therefore, time is of the essence.

ellen fl

[Skidmore]

10. The business community needs to be outside of

health care and the insurance companies need to be put out of business. Medicaire for all.

[Starry Messenger]

2. My job does not.

Adjunct faculty. Some colleges began breaking full-time tenure track positions down into several part-time positions several years ago. I believe it was partly so they didn't have to offer health benefits and could save money. If you are teaching less than 3/4 time, you are not eligible for the group plan.

My doctor the last time I went to emergency for a galloping foot infection didn't know this and berated me for not having regular health care. I had to set him straight and he was totally shocked. Nice guy, but just wasn't aware. :)

[raccoon]

4. The colleges in my neck of the woods have been doing that for years.

I work at a community college, where 50% of the staff/faculty is part-time, no benefits. I asked a woman in HR, and she told me that.

I feel your pain. I'm part-time, no insurance too. :hug:

[Starry Messenger]

22. Hugs back!

:hug: It's kind of scary.

[demodonkey]

3. Yes, I am tired of people (even DUers) saying "I got mine, so screw everybody else"

Sick of people (even on here) saying that they want "choice" in healthcare because are "happy" with their employer-provided insurance, and thus they are against proposals that would cover every American.

Don't these dumbasses realize they are one pink slip away from going with nothing? Or maybe worse, if their health has been good and they have not yet had a big illness, maybe they have yet to find how little their "coverage" truly covers? (Or how hard their insurance company will fight to protect their profits and avoid paying claims!)

I have no healthcare AT ALL (one of millions in this situation) so here is my "choice" if I get very sick:
1) die
2) lose everything I have and if that is still not enough to pay the bills, perhaps end up a burden on society

Some "choice."

Single payer healthcare for all. We can't afford NOT to do this.

K&R

[raccoon]

8. Especially people on Medicare who are like this piss me off. nt

[demodonkey]

9. A lot of people on Medicare have no clue how little it covers now. It needs to be expanded.

Single-payer would do this, and cover everyone (all ages and health status.) Then the national plan could cover things like full medical (no copays, deductibles, caps, etc), mental, dental, long term care, etc.

People are self-centered and clueless.

:grr:

[RebelOne]

17. I'm eligible for Medicare, but I prefer to keep my employer's insurance.

I am collecting Social Security and working also working full-time. But my employer's insurance covers medical, dental and eye care. And it only costs me $85 per month. Couldn't get all that with Medicare.

[demodonkey]

26. I just did the math -- you would likely SAVE under HR 676.

Unless you make more than $2575.00 a month at your job you would SAVE under HR 676. Yes I just did the math.

Also, have you had to really USE any of your benefits? I mean for something really serious? If not, beware that you don't have as much coverage as you think you do.

Whatever you do, unless you have full long term care coverage, DO NOT HAVE A STROKE or otherwise become disabled. You are on your own unless your $85 a month coverage will kick in and pick up the tab. Otherwise you have to go on Medicaid and to do that you have to "spend down" (i.e. lose) pretty much everything you ever worked for, under the system we have now.

HR 676 will cover everyone, and will include long term care for the disabled along with dental, eye care, mental health, full medical etc. for EVERYONE. Including me, who is currently uninsured due to no coverage at my work.

Do you prefer me to have nothing? NO healthcare at all? Or are you only worried about you? And even if the answer to that is "yes", don't you want to save money?

[Hello_Kitty]

20. Or Medicaid. I got into an argument with a woman about mandated coverage.

She was incensed about uninsured people getting treated in the ER. I tried to explain to her that, as the OP said, many people are in crappy service jobs that don't provide coverage and the types of policies these people could get on their own are really lousy (and expensive) catastrophic plans. The woman herself was in that type of crappy job. Her work offered insurance but it sucked. Not that it mattered since she was a single mom with 2 kids and got 100% of her health care was covered by the state.

[elocs]

21. Canada's healthcare system is called "Medicare" & 91% of Canadians prefer it over ours in the U.S.

I posted it here yesterday: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5193293&mesg_id=5193293

I have Republican friends who are retired here and they complain about universal healthcare plans while they enjoy the benefits of Medicare as well as Social Security, two hugely popular Democratic programs.

[ejpoeta]

14. there's the rub. people seem fine with it as long as they are ok.

and as for the no lines thing and all that.... sure, when 47 million people don't even get to stand in the line.... of course there is less waiting. We are already paying for the uninsured in the fact that they wait to get help and then end up in the ER. why can't people get that through their head!! We are ALREADY paying for it. If we are ALL covered, that makes costs go down. And the crap about people choosing to not be covered. I've said it before and I'll say it again... beyond young people who probably don't even think about health insurance, I don't know anyone who doesn't want health insurance. When you can't afford it, you can't afford it.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. There's a whole racket out there of creating "part-time" employees

who don't qualify for the group plan. Magically, they all work 32-33 hours a week and when the critical number to be considered full-time is 35 hours a week.

[ellenfl]

12. see wal-mart.

my boyfriend's employer allowed me to go on his insurance. otherwise, i would be one of the millions uninsured.

ellen fl

[eyesroll]

6. Mine doesn't.

I'm joining a small practice as an attorney in June. (Yep--the small-business-without-insurance model isn't just retail, restaurants, and solo entrepreneurs.)

Like most other small businesses, it doesn't offer group insurance. The pay is better than most small practices (which also don't offer insurance--did you know that the average starting attorney at a small firm in Wisconsin makes about $45,000 a year? Not pennies, but if you've got six-figure student loans and a family, it's less than great), the hours better than most large practices (which usually do offer insurance, but at a cost of 70-hour workweeks as a matter of routine).

I can continue my cheap student coverage for a year; by then I hope there will be something reasonable I can buy into (either governmental or private sector), or by then my partner (who will be my husband) will have a job with family coverage (which, as he's more of an entrepreneur himself, is unlikely).

[peace13]

7. Our small business has provided health insurance to employees for 24 years but........

The first time one of us gets sick we will no longer be able to afford it or they will deem us un-insurable. My guess is that by next February we will be out.

[Kindigger]

11. And some just think they do

Like my brother who worked for a very small company. He and several co-workers accepted the policy offered with its outrageous premium.

It wasn't until my brother had to go to the doctor, submitted to the insurance company, and received the reply that he found the company had been pocketing the premiums, rather than giving it to the insurance company. They had been having it taken out of their checks for two years.

Then it wasn't until his wonderful sister ;) called the labor board, that an investigation ensued, resulting in the return of mucho $$ to the employees, and a summons for the owner of the company, who shortly thereafter filed for bankruptcy.

[juno jones]

13. Some do but require 35 - 40 hours a week to get it.

So essentially only management qualifies although technically anyone who hits the magic number gets it too.

Most of these places keep employee's weekly hours to around 28-35.

PS: In the last 20-odd years of employment I have been insured a total of six months not counting the offer I had once to buy into one of those cheap-ass policies that were high-deductable, low-payoff rip-offs that are now being investigated (funny, that).

Universal single payer. It's the only real choice.

[acmavm]

15. And the ones that do have crazy premiums. I pay $300+ a month

for my son and myself (company picks up the rest). Now on my salary 300.00 is a LOT of money. And we just switched to cheaper coverage (which makes me wonder why MY share of the premium didn't go down) that pays less than the last group policy did.

But, I have to have the insurance.

[EmilyAnne]

16. That blithering idiot representative from Tennessee who said that health care is not a right

apparently doesn't know this.

Thanks for stating this. Its surprising how many obvious things turn out to have been eluded by so many people, myself included.

[Coyote_Bandit]

18. Same is true

of 401k's and pension plans.

I've seen lots of ignorant DUers who simply cannot fathom that someone might posibly have a job that didn't include some retirement plan in its compensation.

[raccoon]

19. Good point. nt

[Hello_Kitty]

23. There sure are a lot of Suze Orman wannabes here. eom

[Marrah_G]

25. I have no retirement plan except for my inheretance from my parents.

They are still alive of course. But if they cancel their life insurance I am screwed. Now I am only 38 and I intend to go back to college in 6 years and maybe after that I will get a job with a 401k.

My guy has worked for an airline for 25+ years and he will be getting a pension.

[demodonkey]

27. Beware that neither of them end up needing long term care, then YOU will be screwed.

They will have to "spend down" everything under the current system to qualify for long term care under Medicaid.

Even adult children who take care of parents and help them full time for years are allowed to inherit NOTHING under the current system until long term care costs are paid back (except the parents' house, in limited circumstances in some states.)

HR 676 will provide long term care if one or both of your parents becomes disabled.

[Marrah_G]

28. I really don't have any other options at the moment

My dad is a financial genius so everything is pretty safe, etc. They planned ahead really well.

My point was that there is no money left at the end of the week for savings- retirement or otherwise.

I'm in a pretty common situation.

My only possible saving grace will be any sort of inheritance.

Also I am only 38- I could still end up with a job with benefits like that at some point.

[Marrah_G]

24. It kills small employers

Places that have less then 10 employees, which is alot of companies. The cost of the insurance is often to high for them to even consider. This is one reason so many small town stores could not compete.