"Fair Share"-Based Healthcare? (salary, insurance, companies, elect)

[Workin_Hard]

It's enrollment season. Comparing notes with a subcontractor, he showed me the brouchure his company sent out featuring the highlights of next year's benefit options.

"...to be responsive to federal healthcare reform and escalating healthcare costs, we are implementing a new healthcare strategy for US employees beginning in 2013."

Uh-oh. Doesn't sound good.

"Ensuring accessibility: We are introducing a salary-based contribution rate structure - which aligns with marketplace trends - so benefits are accessible for all employees regardless of salary."

Further on in the brouchure (he loaned it to me), is a table listing example employee contributions.

I'll give the figures from the best available plan:

For someone making a salary of less than $50,000, coverage for the employee and his/her family is $288 per pay. For someone in the $50,001 - $69,999 range, it's $306/pay. For someone in the $70,000 - $89,999 range, it's $$366/pay. For someone in the $90,000 - $124,999 range, it's $416/pay. And for someone making more than $125K, it's $442 per pay. (They are paid bi-weekly)

So to receive the same product, costs can go anywhere from $7,488 to $11,492 to receive the EXACT SAME PRODUCT. Through the SAME EMPLOYER. Under the SAME BENEFITS PLAN.

My coverage for an equivalent plan for myself and my family from the same provider costs approximately $100 per week.,

I have no disagreement than Elmo in the mailroom may want to provide healthcare insurance for his family. I do not begrudge him the right to obtain it. I would have a MAJOR problem in being asked to subsidize it by paying a larger amount from my check so that he could get coverage equal to mine. Or that the company is providing it to him at a better rate than it is provided to me. How can an employer seriously present such a practice to employees and make them feel that they are receiving anything of value? What's next, salary-based pricing at the employee cafeteria? At the vending machines?

Those on Executive Row have a right to purchase the healthcare option at the same rate as the mailroom crew, and the mailroom crew should be paying the same rate as those in the Ivory Tower for benefits which are presented as generally available.

This company recently made me an offer which included a $20K bump. I'm glad I declined. (Details of the opportunity didn't really suit me anyhow. It's not all about the money.)

[Oldhag1]

If they are going to do this, and I guess they are planning it whether we like it or not, then they should only do it for the most basic plan.

[Danno3314]

I've been in health insurance as a broker since 1995. Let me simplify this....and BTW I knew this back before I became a broker when Hillary was going to reform it after hubby got elected. I understand it in detail now but, it still all comes down to this simply explanation.

You have a whole bunch of people that don't like what they're paying for insurance. Then you have a whole bunch if people that can't get it or afford. If we want cover everybody, I don't care how you try to hide this, the people that don't like what they're paying are going to have to pay more to cover the people that can't afford it.

If all the insurance company CEO's made no income, the companies made no profit and the shareholders received no dividends, that won't even put a dent in paying for it. The bottom line is any one who's paying for it now, will have to pay more to cover those who can't afford it...every one from the lower mode class on up.