i'm doing our annual benefits open enrollment for qualified employees and i must say...i'm shocked that so many employees are declining options. now i realize that some of them don't make a lot of money (and then some of them do) but i'm trying to explain the benefits of having health, dental and vision insurance and it's like talking to a wall. our vision plan costs $1.40 per pay period, dental is between $1.90-$3.47. if you are a part time employee , there is a health care plan for as little as $11 a week. full time employees are offered full HMO. i have to twist their arms to get life insurance AND IT'S FREE!! ( worth 1 x their salary) we offer short term disability that's available as soon as 7 days out of work. cost $2 and up.

i mean aren't there millions out there with no coverage who would be glad if somebody even offered them some benefits?


i pay for hmo, short and long term disability, vision, dental, life insurance and critical care. i'm not mad about paying it because shit happens and people get sick or hurt. better to be prepared than blind sided.

you got to love the NHS!

I had all of this (paid a pretty penny too!). I was able to use the short term disability when I had my surgery and that was good. Very crappy medical insurance for the price I was paying. I'm trying to decide if I will COBRA until I find another job. Ugh! They should have cover you if you work with shady people and get fired over stupidness insurance.

Speaking of which I was talking to people and it didn't miraculously changed once I left for the better. Shocking!

Thank [insert deity here] for Medicare!!!!

Healthcare costs me nothing as I already automatically pay the levy out of my Pay As You Earn tax. Doctors and hospital care are free.

Dental on the other hand isn't but if you don't need work done it only costs $300 per year for two checkups.

You people in the states have it bad I think.

I turn down both dental and vision because they would cost me more than I would get back.

I haven't had so much as a cavity in 36 years. I get my teeth cleaned once a year and I'm done. Why would I choose to pay for someone else's kid's braces?

And our vision plan restricts providers to the point that I don't want it.

Fury said:

Wow, that seems unusual to offer health insurance for part-time staff. I wish more companies were like that. At my old job, I did turn down the vision because the health insurance had better coverage than the seperate vision plan. My current plan's prescription coverage is terrible. I have one medication that is $188 for a month's supply -- and that's for the generic, after insurance!

I hate Walmart, but last time I visited my family I got a throat infection so my godmother, who is a physician's assistant, wrote me a prescription for amoxicillan and it was only $5 out of pocket!! (No insurance even involved.) Luckily for me, there is no Walmart in NYC, so I won't be tempted to patronize them for my medicine.

again i'm baffled how people will spend $6 for lunch but not spend that same amount on their benefits

now when they get sick or injured, i hope they can upchuck that #12 meal

Fury said:

It IS stupid and sick. All it takes is ONE incident (Genesia, whether you believe it or not you could chew on something hard and crack a tooth) and you're down the loo... instead of paying the low constant. But people are stupid like that, they'd rather eat at McD than make sure their kid is covered in case s/he needs a heart transplant one day.

Wow, I have dental/health/long-term disability/AD&D/ Vision/Life insurance coverage. I can't go without any of it. It's better to be careful, than sorry.

They also offer flex benefits (Health and childcare)

The health flex benefits cover reimbursements on prescriptions, vision(glasses/contacts) and other items. You can purchase between $1000 - $3,000-I believe you can buy more, but have to check) but you have to submit your claims and use what you purchased (i.e., $1000) by April 15th of the following year, as it doesn't carry over. We also have the Transportation benefits card.

The childcare flex benefits, reimburses you for childcare, whether weekly/biweekly/monthly. You just submit a receipt and fill out a claim form, and you get the money back within 2 weeks.

According to my employer, they cover 92% of its employees' health benefits and the employees pay 8%. They do have coverage for some part-time employees as well.
[Edited 11/8/09 14:55pm]

Teacher said:

I think it's stupid to spend money month after month, year after year and watch that money get used by other people (or other peoples' kids) for routine things they should be saving for and/or paying for out of pocket.

My teeth are like granite. I've bitten down on a gazillion "hard things" over the years and never had a problem. (I pulverized a random kalamata olive pit a couple weeks ago.) And I put money aside in the event that something unexpected happens.

You call that stupid? I call it responsible.

Genesia said:

I hope you save that money in the event of a major surgery that you
may need in the future. Eveyone's not fortunate to save thousands of
dollars for dental care or medical care. That money is generally used
for paying your mortgage or putting food on the table. I had to have
surgery a few years ago for diverticulitis and my insurance covered
damn near everything. I don't owe the hospital a dime. Between the hospital
and the doctor that performed the surgery i paid less than 300 dollars.
If your employer offers good health benefits like mine does i think
paying less than 68 dollars a month for medical, dental, and vision
insurance is a small price to pay and it benefits me greatly but
to each his own.

Genesia said:

i can't tell you how many hundreds of people i've run across in my line of work who thought the same thing as you, and now are losing their homes because of bad luck with their health.

Genesia said:

You haven't had a cavity since you were 29???
That's good.

evenstar3 said:

Excuse me. I have health insurance. I don't buy dental insurance. The chances of losing my home because I need a root canal are nil.

johnart said:

Speaking of cavities...

johnart said:

Genesia said:

oh! well yeah, then worst case you'd just have an annoyingly high unexpected expense.

evenstar3 said:

Exactly. I would never go without health coverage if I could help it.

Isn't dental insurance only like 2.48 to 3.28
a month according to what plan you have?

Genesia said:

Damn osteoporosis has not slowed you down one bit.
OWWWWW quit it!

johnart said:

Just wait'll I get my hip replacement. I'mma put my foot up your ass.

Genesia said:

That made me pee a lil. Pass me a Depends.

johnart said:

Genesia said:

You pay for somebody else, because you are lucky enough to be healthy! You don't know what will happen to you in the future, and if it happens, you will be damn lucky you have health care
(I'm Dutch by the way, we really can't believe the US isn't having health care)

robertlove said:

And I'm Swedish, and I echo what you say - so what if I pay a couple extra bucks for a child to get a heart transplant? Now, I am one of the people who need constant health care of one kind or another, but I do pay my taxes and I am working to minimise the care I'll need in the future. US dumbasses tend to yell "we're not going socialist, NEVER!" when it comes to health care but all I have to say on that is that if I can help others to get as good care as I do, then bring it on.
Another thing that many americans seem to have gotten backwards is that you'd have to choose the worst care, if you have public Medicaid - that's shit talk! It'd be a walk in the park to apply what we have here, a system where you can choose whatever clinic you want, within your county. I can choose to go to the nearest GP, or one an hour's travel away if I'm more comfortable with him/her. Same with the mental health care, which is my primary concern right now since I'm bipolar typ III. I can choose whichever clinic I want. What could be wrong with that?
For those who have enough money to use for , get concierge medicine. Shut the fuck up about the rest, you have got money to spare so pay up.

I never cease to be amazed at the conceit and stupidity of those who believe that, just because they don't care that their government robs them blind, everyone else should roll over and hope theirs does the same.

Genesia said:

What surprises me is that Americans will suport a system that doesn't even work! Even if you are ill and have medical insurance they dont pay - and when the insurance runs out the hospital will sue your ass for their money. No amount of insurance could have paid for my operations (nor my dentist for the children and myself) or for the ongoing medical care for my children (vaccinations etc). I have had my monies worth - I also work but I don't begrudge one penny of paying into the NHS - paying for other people to benefit - because being ill and then having your house taken away ain't no laughing matter when you have to put up with an american healthcare system which only benefits those who are well off.

If you are lucky enough to have an employer who gives benefits and you can save for your dental all well and good but a lot of time people don't have that money and don't have that kind of employer and I don't see why they should suffer and then people start labelling that because they haven't saved up for this and that they should be condescendingly looked upon - shit happens (BTW when you are very ill your teeth suffer badly!!)

It fucks me off when people say I can do this and I can do that and you should also - bollocks to that - when you have suffered badly and you have had the experience of ill health etc - then you appreciate the NHS and also the fact that you are not financially burdened afterwards of having to pay for it!

blueblossom said:

Red blooded American here, and I agree with you 100 percent.

Totally in favor of health care for all and actively working toward that goal. I'd be glad to pay into a system that will insure everybody. Our current system is not adequate.

I have no problem paying my monthly fees for insurance. I had to have surgery earlier this year and it only cost me my copays. I work in medical insurance and do battle for the patients with the insurance companies on the daily. Case in point how is the insurance company gonna say that a claim is a duplicate if a twin birth. No stupids there are 2 babies. A boy and a girl. Actual conversation today-

Me: I need a claim reprocessed
Ins: We see denied the claim as a duplicate.
Me; It's a twin birth and this is why it needs to be reprocessed
Ins: Let me pull the info
Me: ok
Ins: Oh I see a boy and a girl, Well then I will send it back

I have these types of conversations alot. It's like talking to a box a hair.

LadyFunkSoldier said:

It kills me when people whine about gov't bureaucracy as if insurance company red tape is any better.