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I was doing some poking around on the Wake County school's website today. I'm applying to work as guidance counselor. As I read the benefits package and pulled up the health coverage plan I was shocked. So if I understand it correctly, you as the educator / employee get insurance coverage under the smart choice plan. But, if you want to ad your spouse and / or family you pay extra? For a family it is quoting $413 per month for the cheapest plan? Am I missing something here? The recruiters call the Wake County benefits generous? Good grief that is by far the worst health care benefit plan I have ever seen offered to educators nationwide!
After you pay the monthly premium, you still pay 30% and have a $2000 annual family deductible too?
Here in Alaska, the starting pay for the same position I'm applying for is darn near double what they offer in Wake County and the health care package is 100%, including all of my family. Even my son is covered and he is 22 because he attends college. This has got me rethinking things.......Or, did I miss something?
I thought that was how all benefit plans worked? Is it supposed to be different because it's a state job? (I'm not being snappy, but asking a real question, as I don't know??)
Yeah the benefits are pretty good if you're single. If you need to support a family, they are crazy. A single parent would need to pay about $400 a month to insure 1 child. My wife works for a company in RTP and we just checked on her insurance (having a baby in Dec.) and her total cost for medical with her and the child including dental would be about $60 a month with NO copay. The state does not subsidize healthcare at all for children/families it seems. Also my wife gets 6 weeks of 100% pay after she has the baby. If she had a state job, she woud get 0% and would have to use vacation and sick leave. While I do realize that a lot of places don't give maturnity leave at 100% pay, some will give 60% pay for a certain time.
Again, the state benefits are decent for single people and that is it. Most comapnies can match or better the state bennies in many ways. I used to work for the State of VA and I paid $40 a month for medical for me and my wife.
Unfortunately, when it comes to State salary and benefits for teachers here in NC, it is as if the State still operates under the premise that most teachers are females, working for 'pin money.'
It was that way my entire teaching career. I began working for the State in 1979, and retired two years ago. I spend a large % of my retirement each month to insure my husband and college-aged daughter. The INS is good insurance, but for what I pay for it, I'd hope so! I just can't run a risk of only insuring myself, and not them, or opting for another policy for them. My husband's company pays some towards the cost of healthcare, but because he is covered on my policy, he opted for life INS and dental INS, instead.
You are correct -- the State will insure me, as a retiree, for nothing, and I can upgrade to a better plan for a nominal amount.
As a society we tend to think that Health Insurance can only be provided by our employers, but that is wrong. When I was considering a job with WCPSS I found cheaper health insurance with private companies; Blue Cross Blue Shield was one.
Another advantage of BCBS is that it is known nation-wide, a big benefit for an out-of-state college student.
p.s. - my 27 year-old recent law school grad son is insured with BCBS under their "Young Adult Policies". Only $50 per month for major medical traditional insurance, or the same cost for a comprehensive PPO plan. These young adult plans are great for students too old to be covered by their parent's plan, but not yet covered by an employer's plan. I assume many insurance companies offer them.
As a society we tend to think that Health Insurance can only be provided by our employers, but that is wrong. When I was considering a job with WCPSS I found cheaper health insurance with private companies; Blue Cross Blue Shield was one.
Another advantage of BCBS is that it is known nation-wide, a big benefit for an out-of-state college student.
p.s. - my 27 year-old recent law school grad son is insured with BCBS under their "Young Adult Policies". Only $50 per month for major medical traditional insurance, or the same cost for a comprehensive PPO plan. These young adult plans are great for students too old to be covered by their parent's plan, but not yet covered by an employer's plan. I assume many insurance companies offer them.
BCBS may be known nationwide, but most of the "Blue Cross"es are affiliates that are licensed to use the Blue Cross name, so if you're out-of-state you're probably also out-of-network and will need to pay the costlier out-of-network costs.
AK offers better benefits as incentives because not too many people want to relocate there. You would be better off comparing NC to VA, SC, etc.
i think the poster should compare the benefits and pay to where he or she currently is. How does it make sense to compare wages from one state where he doesn't live to another state where he doesn't live? so he can realize, hey, "SC screws its teachers, too!"
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Check the costs of private Health Insurance
