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A Target manager named Michael says he was told he was one of 8,000 full-time specialists and team leaders who would be demoted to part-time. Apparently the email went on to say that HR will receive another email within 3-4 months directing stores to reduce current specialist hours to below 32 hours a week. Reason being the company wants to get all the current specs in the company OFF the full time benefits plans to reduce cost. (i.e. health insurance, etc)
Call it what you will but this calls for a public option, exchange, or whatever with a big pool to reduce costs- so that Americans can get affordable and guaranteed coverage. I know too many people who stick with an employer just because of the health coverage and the fear of losing it. Employer based coverage stifles mobility, initiative, and entrepreneurialism.
How on earth can we support public options when we are becoming a minimum wage nation?
I agree. How many companies offer a defined pension plan anymore ?
Few to none and those few do not offer it to their new employees.
Companies are getting out of the "benefit" business because it hurts their bottom line. Even 401K contributions have been cut drastically or altogether.
The American worker today has to cover his own back. Consider yourself luck to be getting a salary nevermind benefits.
And so, we as Americans revert back to a "Kind of, sort of slave nation"? Just be lucky that you're getting paid? Then summers73 makes this point, insurance rates should be linked to your lifestyle such as that evil activity, smoking. Now, this is a road that many should think twice about because your freedom to climb mountains, jog in crowded cities even playing sports like football or rugby can jack your rates, the sky could be the limit and a tool to control people by tyrants in which it is becoming prevalent today. Stop and think how insurance lobby has effected your freedoms these past 30 years through influence peddling of our legislators by insurance executives who've passed laws restricting our freedoms. And those two comments quoted above are from those conservative Americans craving freedom? I think not.
"Denying people with pre-existing conditions on group policies needs to be allowed. The responder brings up a good point. Make the law consistent with both individual and group policies. Also, allow the employer a great deal of flexibility to pitch in a larger/smaller % of premiums depending on lifestyle choices such as smoking, etc."
I've never said the quality is bad (even though we could work on cutting down hospital-acquired infections and stupid medical mistakes), what gets me is that health care is becoming unaffordable.
Have you looked at the French system?
There is a good DVD put out by Frontline that shows different health care systems in other countries. I like the German and the French system. We can learn some things on the U.K. when it comes to paying doctors to keep people healthy and having a gateway system.
I don't have a problem with paying more in taxes provided we get more out of them. Currently our taxes are paying for two stupid wars, banker bailouts, and other stupid things.
Every health care system rations. Here we ration based on your ability to pay. There is nothing wrong with rationing, it's a necessary evil.
We are not Germany or France and their system will not work here because we will have more people here paying nothing into the system than they have people in their countries...
No, not single payer. OK, I should not have said ANY solution. I would listen to any proposal, and then pick the best one.
The current bill had good bi-partisan stuff in it, like removal of caps, removal of pre-existing conditions and nationawide exchange. All good stuff, but maybe they could be voted on separatly. Nothing wrong with that, is there.
The problem with that is that the insurance companies didn't want to remove the cabs or remove the pre-existing conditions without everyone having to buy health insurance.
We are not Germany or France and their system will not work here because we will have more people here paying nothing into the system than they have people in their countries...
France, like the United States, relies on both private insurance and government insurance. Also, just like in America, people generally get their insurance through their employer.
Quote:
Mention European health care to an American, and it probably conjures up a negative stereotype — high taxes, long waiting lines, rationed care.
It's not that way in Germany. Very little tax money goes into the system. The lion's share comes, as in America, from premiums paid by workers and employers to insurance companies.
I would like some stats to back up your statement. [See, unlike you, I back up my stuff with facts: not opinions or predictions]
Do you even KNOW if the system WON'T work here or are you looking into some delusional crystal ball that predicts horrible outcomes that only those on the right on this board seem to have?
I agree. How many companies offer a defined pension plan anymore ?
Few to none and those few do not offer it to their new employees.
Companies are getting out of the "benefit" business because it hurts their bottom line. Even 401K contributions have been cut drastically or altogether.
The American worker today has to cover his own back. Consider yourself luck to be getting a salary nevermind benefits.
Yep, our company threw pensions out the window for everyone a few years back. 401K is next and then health insurance.
Last year I paid around $17,000 for group insurance, including deductibles. Now I have no insurance because of a chapter 7 which excludes COBRA coverage. My only option now is to pay HIPAA which is much more than last years premium or pay high premiums for a years with no coverage first before activation at $1600 per-month through BCBS. My family would be better off paying premiums through our taxes and be covered then be broke paying premiums with no damn coverage!
I hear one needs around $20,000 in savings to immigrate to Canada. You would have been better off saving that $17K and moving there.
And so, we as Americans revert back to a "Kind of, sort of slave nation"? Just be lucky that you're getting paid?
I'm not saying I agree with it. I'm just making an observation that this seems to be the way things are going.
Compare working for a big company years ago to today.
White collar workers paid $0 for healthcare and had 30 year pensions that also had healthcare.
White collar workers have nowhere near that today and foot most of their so called benefits out of their paychecks.
I can't speak for blue collar because I don't have the insight to what they had 10 years ago compared to today.
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