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Do you know this for a fact, or are you shooting from the hip? Regardless of tax rates, I am guessing the NYC school system represents a pretty big and powerful buying pool. I wouldn't doubt that they were able to cut themselves a sweet deal with the insurance companies. But I suspect there are co-pays and deductables for non-preventive services which Rachel has never seen because she's never needed that type of care.
Rachel, please weigh in.
..if this might be a "luxury" that NYC can't afford for much longer; remember, if I recall correctly, that the Big 3 Automakers in Detroit had to cut back on the health insurance benefits of their retirees because they simply couldn't afford to pay for them anymore. Virtually everyone pays "something" for their health insurance benefits, usually through weekly payroll withholdings; if someone is getting these benefits for free, then they are 1) very lucky, and 2) living on borrowed time, because this will probably not go on much longer, as retirees' medical expenses soar through the simple process of the aging of the beneficiaries.
..if this might be a "luxury" that NYC can't afford for much longer; remember, if I recall correctly, that the Big 3 Automakers in Detroit had to cut back on the health insurance benefits of their retirees because they simply couldn't afford to pay for them anymore. Virtually everyone pays "something" for their health insurance benefits, usually through weekly payroll withholdings; if someone is getting these benefits for free, then they are 1) very lucky, and 2) living on borrowed time, because this will probably not go on much longer, as retirees' medical expenses soar through the simple process of the aging of the beneficiaries.
Well, I thought everyone had co-pays and deductables (of various amounts) these days, but let's see what Rachel says.
Imposing and gradually increasing co-pays and deductables are your employer's way of saying, "I can't afford this anymore...employees need to start paying for this." Gradually, the cost is being shifted to the employees. Luckily, most employers recognize the value of preventive care, so don't impose OOP costs on those, whcih would discourage many from getting physicals, etc.
The article's implicit arguement is that coverage should not be expanded to all citizens because there wouldn't be enough physicians to treat them is predictable from this conservative professional journal. Many doctors do not want to share their turf, when in actuality, nurse practitioners are growing in thier ranks and are able to pick up much of the health care services and procedures that are today relegated solely to MDs. Educating nurse praticitoners takes much less time and is much less expensive than educating MDs. Study after study has shown that the quality of the care provided by NPs is equal to that of MDs. In addition, the development of the "medical home" care model is also reducing the burden placed on primary care docs, while their patients get more quality time with them.
I noticed that too. I also noticed they chose a doctor out in Amherst, which is a very rural area in Western Massachusetts. I've never had any trouble seeing a doctor, and I'd be interested if they're facing the "overcrowding" problem in other places in and around Boston.
The US has this weird backward system where we get our healthcare through our employers. I can't think of any other system in the World that does it this way.
Insurers are taking 10-30% of the premiums that your employers pay on your behalf as pure profit and/or administrative waste as well. Average composite premiums are running as much as $1,000-1,500 per month per family these days.
Imagine getting rid of the insurance companies, paying a little bit more in taxes, but getting paid more in terms of wages in return. How's an extra $15-20 thousand dollars more in your pocket each year sound?
Much of the stagnation in wages we're seeing can be directly attributed to the increases in healtcare costs to your employer.
Yeah, I have health insurance: it just went up to 650.00 a month with LESS service coverage and TRIPLE the co-pays. i'm just THRILLED
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