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as a "test" in anticipation of 2014 when companies will be required to provide health insurance for full time employees. I don't really blame them; companies have to be able to make a profit to stay in business and I'm sure you realize how expensive it is to pay for health insurance. You don't realize how much your company is paying for their share of your health insurance until you go on COBRA and have to pay it yourself. I have a business, but I have no employees. Any work that I can't do myself is subcontracted. Even now, I wouldn't be able to provide health insurance if the eight people I subcontract to were employees and I had to pay 7.5% Social Security tax and health insurance. I couldn't stay in business. As it is, I pay them the very highest rate I can. I'd have to cut pay a LOT if I also had to pay Social Security taxes and health insurance, because I'd be in the hole if I had to do that.
This is what we are going to be seeing with Obamacare, people.
This is going to mean that most people are going to be on the government health insurance. And I hate to see what that looks like. Have you ever been in a VA hospital? It is like every other government-run agency, tons of red tape and paperwork and long lines and waiting and waiting and waiting. And, the ones I have been in, depressing. Think of the DMV, the welfare office, the courthouse. That's what our healthcare will become.
Competition/free enterprise is a good thing. Obamacare is not.
Competition/free enterprise is a good thing. Obamacare is not.
Are you really expecting us to have sympathy because people low-skill minimum wage jobs don't come with a free ride through their employer? Really? My heart ain't breaking.
So let them get their health insurance on the open market for individuals like us small business owners have had to do for years.
Are you really expecting us to have sympathy because people low-skill minimum wage jobs don't come with a free ride through their employer? Really? My heart ain't breaking.
So let them get their health insurance on the open market for individuals like us small business owners have had to do for years.
Take some personal responsibility!
I'm not quite sure if you are agreeing with me or not agreeing with me. Did you read my post? Yes, I think people should take responsibility. No, I don't think employers should have to provide health insurance. That is what I was saying.
luzianne not only did I read your post, I have been following this discussion very closely for several years. As to whether I agree or disagree I do not think it is cut and dried.
First and foremost I am of the opinion that it should not be the responsibility of employers to provide health insurance at all. Our system is a relic from WW II and no longer appropriate for our economy.
Secondly I am of the opinion that if they do, it should be subject to medicare, social security and fenderal withholding just like regular income. I think it is an outrage that we small business owners have to purchase our health insurance on the open market with after-tax dollars while large corporations not only negotiate better deals for their employees, the premiums blow right past form 941 and are not subject to any knd of Federal witholding. I have been bombarded with emails from a friend who works for a large defense contractor who rails against "Obamacare" yet he has a very cushy health benefits package. He does not even know what if anything he pays in co-pays for any procedures or medications. To me it is like he is ordering off the menu and never sees the bill. And all this while people like me get *****ed over trying to get a decent individual plan with money that has been taxed. Somebody please tell me when the playing field is going to be level between large corporations and small businesses because it wasn't before Obamacare and while it is better now, it sure is not perfect.
Third if corporations are going to give employees a free ride as far as health benefits, no i am not going to have sympathy when burger-flippers, cashiers and waitstaff have their hours cut so that employers will not have to give them the cushy health insurance perks. Talk about entitlement mentality! These people can be replaced within an hour and yet think they are supposed to get full health coverage? I can see that employers would want to provide perks for the purpose of employee retention but other than that it does not nake sense.
So basically no outrage from me on what Olive Garden and similar are doing. I really couldn't care less.
Why don't we just have every employee in the US be taken off company health insurance plans? If I was given a raise of 3-5k or so as an incentive to get off the company plan I would take it.
Why don't we just have every employee in the US be taken off company health insurance plans? If I was given a raise of 3-5k or so as an incentive to get off the company plan I would take it.
I would love to see that if only so that everyone would see why the reform was needed. And the playing field would finally be level.
Just FYI my husband and I (both in our mid 50s, healthy, no dependents) pay approx 7k a year for high deductible health insurance. Our deductible is $5000 a year each. And yes we have HSAs.
as a "test" in anticipation of 2014 when companies will be required to provide health insurance for full time employees. I don't really blame them; companies have to be able to make a profit to stay in business and I'm sure you realize how expensive it is to pay for health insurance. You don't realize how much your company is paying for their share of your health insurance until you go on COBRA and have to pay it yourself. I have a business, but I have no employees. Any work that I can't do myself is subcontracted. Even now, I wouldn't be able to provide health insurance if the eight people I subcontract to were employees and I had to pay 7.5% Social Security tax and health insurance. I couldn't stay in business. As it is, I pay them the very highest rate I can. I'd have to cut pay a LOT if I also had to pay Social Security taxes and health insurance, because I'd be in the hole if I had to do that.
This is what we are going to be seeing with Obamacare, people.
This is going to mean that most people are going to be on the government health insurance. And I hate to see what that looks like. Have you ever been in a VA hospital? It is like every other government-run agency, tons of red tape and paperwork and long lines and waiting and waiting and waiting. And, the ones I have been in, depressing. Think of the DMV, the welfare office, the courthouse. That's what our healthcare will become.
Competition/free enterprise is a good thing. Obamacare is not.
Seems to me you don't have much respect for people who do work for you, nor for our federal programs such as Social Security. Stop the whine. The electorate chose the President to continue to lead the nation ... and that includes Obamcare. If you can't survive in business then you probably don't belong in business. Survival of the fitest. That's the Republican way.
I agree, FrugalYankee - it should not be the responsibility of the business to provide healthcare. I don't think national healthcare is the answer, either.
Seems to me you don't have much respect for people who do work for you, nor for our federal programs such as Social Security. Stop the whine. The electorate chose the President to continue to lead the nation ... and that includes Obamcare. If you can't survive in business then you probably don't belong in business. Survival of the fitest. That's the Republican way.
I have lots of respect for the people I subcontract to; that's why I pay them 20% more than they'd be getting paid from any other company. But I can't pay them that well AND pay health insurance and Social Security. The numbers wouldn't work. I'm not whining; I'm saying that businesses are doing to have to stay in business and they will do what Darden is doing, drop people down to less than full time.
All I am saying is companies will do what they have to do to stay in business. You can't pay out more than you are bringing in. You can't spend more on an employee on wages and benefits than you are taking in by employing them. Simple math. If you are required to pay for health insurance, you either have to reduce wages to cover it, or you go out of business (unless you have a huge profit margin, which certainly isn't the case for me and probably not for most small businesses).
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