CaP'N GRuNGe Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 350 a month a lot for medical? sheesh, I'd kill to only pay 350 a month, mainly since I don't get company health insurance I am on my own. Premiums just went up...again. It's me, my wife and two kids. We're now paying I believe $750 a month for coverage.... and that is all out of pocket. Decent PPO plan, reasonable deductible (I believe it is the $1000 per member, like polk has). I know most employers offer to pay x percent of the cheapest option (or for the cheapest option) for the employee, some include family too, and offer that to all employees. If you choose to utilize one of the other plans the company offers, you pay for the difference. I pay $131 / mo for medical, $41 / mo for pharmacy, and $77 / mo for dental for my myself, my wife, and my daughter. No deductible on the medical and decent copays ($15 office visits and $30 prescriptions, $7 generics) so I think $350 is a bit much. Of course I work for a health system so I probably have one of the better healthcare packages? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 This might be the smartest thing you have ever said at the Huddle, H8, Then you need to read more of my posts momo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I pay $131 / mo for medical, $41 / mo for pharmacy, and $77 / mo for dental for my myself, my wife, and my daughter. No deductible on the medical and decent copays ($15 office visits and $30 prescriptions, $7 generics) so I think $350 is a bit much. Of course I work for a health system so I probably have one of the better healthcare packages? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Care to elaborate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I pay $131 / mo for medical, $41 / mo for pharmacy, and $77 / mo for dental for my myself, my wife, and my daughter. No deductible on the medical and decent copays ($15 office visits and $30 prescriptions, $7 generics) so I think $350 is a bit much. Of course I work for a health system so I probably have one of the better healthcare packages? that's what you pay. your employer is bearing the bulk of the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 so I think $350 is a bit much. Get. A. Clue. I cannot believe they let people as dumb as you VOTE let alone reproduce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 that's what you pay. your employer is bearing the bulk of the cost. Yes, and the $350 was what Polk's wife pays with her employer covering a portion as well. What's your point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Get. A. Clue. I cannot believe they let people as dumb as you VOTE let alone reproduce. Hey, I also stated what I pay is probably pretty good because of the industry i work in. Do you have to always live up to your username, H8? :hug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Yes, and the $350 was what Polk's wife pays with her employer covering a portion as well. What's your point? weren't you responding to BC, who has to pay his own premiums in full? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Neutron Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 People hate Wally because they hate winners. I hate Wal*Mart because they're a big part of the homoginization of the U.S, retail scene. They run too many good mom and pop stores out of business to peddle their crappy wares. There's a reason their prices are low and it's not just buying power - they sell a lot of sub-par goods. Paying less for less is not a deal. Oh, and I like Microsoft products. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 yes or no, does any company you are aware of charge for healthcare based upon the salary of the worker? Yes, mine does. It's a stepped system rather than purely linear so as you enter a new bracket, the rate goes up. I'm compensated really well and I have no problem with this system at all because it helps to keep the overall quality of health benefit that the company can afford to provide at the highest possible level. There are two health package options, one more expensive paycheck to paycheck (but with less deductible / copay) and the other cheaper. I opt for the more expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaP'N GRuNGe Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 weren't you responding to BC, who has to pay his own premiums in full? No, i was responding to the $350 figure that Polk said he had to pay. BC said that was cheap, I was merely looking at what I pay and comparing it to the $350. And I said my figure is probably pretty good. Geez, i'm starting to feel like Irish in this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I bet the avg Ins co-pay in here is $500 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isleseeya Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 I bet the avg Ins co-pay in here is $500 $ 308 monthly for me for full family plan including dental Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted January 30, 2008 Share Posted January 30, 2008 Where are some of you folks getting this idea that every employee at a company has to be offered health benefits? No they don't. Certainly not part time cart pushers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Care to elaborate? $350 a month for your entire family of three is VERY reasonable. Many people pay more than that monthly in property taxes on their homes. It sounds like your employer is eating at least 70% of the total cost. I realize that healthcare is not cheap right now but, geez, you need a little perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Getting mine (me and spouse only) for roughly $260. No complaints. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebellab Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Where are some of you folks getting this idea that every employee at a company has to be offered health benefits? No they don't. Certainly not part time cart pushers. That's pretty much what I said. It is a benefit not a right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 It is a benefit not a right. If free health insurance is a right, then a free roof over our heads and three free meals a day is a right as well. Because food, water, and shelter are a heck of a lot more important than f'n health insurance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 I never said that free health care was a right and I don't think that am employer has to give out the benefit. Those are things that we know when we go look for the job and take into consideration. My thoughts are that the giant that Wal-Mart is and with the profits that they make, I think they should be able to lesson the burden on society by giving much better benefit plans to all their employees as well as some top notch benefits to management and full time employees that are loyal and do a great job. It would not be hard for them to single out and "promote" the employees to better benefit level. Now if that is illegal to do things that way in some states, (you would have to show me), then they would have to pay a legal team to figure out how to do it. I know for sure that a local retail store that used to be here in PA. offered benefits to full-time people only. The trick was getting them to make you full-time. My wife worked for that company some 20 years ago and after 6 months they put her on full-time and she had pretty decent medical. She also worked for Toys r Us shortly after that and after three months she was on a level one benefit package that sounds about like what Wal-Mart offers. There were three levels and you had to work your way up but if you were on level three, you had pretty decent medical coverage, a decent 401k, and even dental/eyeglass. I know Wal-Mart is out to make the killer buck but if these retail companies could do it, then so could the top of the food chain, IMHO. Also people, let’s not forget that all these 14k a year people that do not have medical coverage, are going to get medial attention when they need it. Who is going to pay for that? I was in the hospital a few weeks ago and the guy next to me had no insurance. They had a team of people in that room taking all his information to figure out how to get him all he free money that they could. Free money = money that we pay for these people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 My thoughts are that the giant that Wal-Mart is and with the profits that they make, I think they should be able to lesson the burden on society by giving much better benefit plans to all their employees as well as some top notch benefits to management and full time employees that are loyal and do a great job. It would not be hard for them to single out and "promote" the employees to better benefit level. Wal-Mart has a primary purpose. It is to make it's stock holders as much money as possible. It's only responsibility to it's employees is to provide a safe work space. If the labor market tightens up then at some point in the future, they may offer better bennies or higher wages, but they have no obligation to do so. Yes Wal-Mart is a huge corporation, has a huge revenue, and normally high profits, but it also has a huge amount of outstanding stock, and stockholders. People bitch about Wal-Mart, and all the money it makes, well maybe they should buy some stock in it, and take part in those profits. I can understand bitching about the quality of the products, the cleanliness of the stores, or the long lines at the register, but to that I'd say just do like I do and don't go to Wal-Mart. I never shop at Wal-Mart, I hate going into the place, but I do own stock in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perchoutofwater Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Also people, let’s not forget that all these 14k a year people that do not have medical coverage, are going to get medial attention when they need it. Who is going to pay for that? I was in the hospital a few weeks ago and the guy next to me had no insurance. They had a team of people in that room taking all his information to figure out how to get him all he free money that they could. Free money = money that we pay for these people. I agree with you here, that is why I might actually go for a hybrid of socialized medicine, if it was funded correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Wal-Mart has a primary purpose. It is to make it's stock holders as much money as possible. It's only responsibility to it's employees is to provide a safe work space. If the labor market tightens up then at some point in the future, they may offer better bennies or higher wages, but they have no obligation to do so. Yes Wal-Mart is a huge corporation, has a huge revenue, and normally high profits, but it also has a huge amount of outstanding stock, and stockholders. People bitch about Wal-Mart, and all the money it makes, well maybe they should buy some stock in it, and take part in those profits. I can understand bitching about the quality of the products, the cleanliness of the stores, or the long lines at the register, but to that I'd say just do like I do and don't go to Wal-Mart. I never shop at Wal-Mart, I hate going into the place, but I do own stock in it. Excellent post and I am pretty much right on board with all that. Having said that, it is the fact that it costs the local area a ton to have a Wal-Mart set up shop in the hood. Wal-Mart just recently tried to open a store in the North Hills here in Pittsburgh but I think that we have woken up to what they do and the store has been blocked. They have been battling in court for some time but a final ruling came down last week that has blocked them. Now there is a hugh piece of prime property that Wal-Mart owns that they will just let sit and die in effort to screw the community for not letting them open that store. It is tactics like that that make me hate everything that is Wal-Mart. I don't hate Polk or his wife for working there but I would do everything in my power to block them from opening another store anywhere around my area. Anyway, I am off the Wal-Mart kick. We have kicked this around and around and you will either see it one way or that other. Oh and one thing that Wal-Mart is good for here in Pittsburgh is it keeps guys like me making sure that I spend my money where I feel it is going to help my local the most. I mean I buy my shoes from a shoe maker that orders them in for me. I get my bread from a 50 year old bakery. Meds come from a small family owned shop and not a hugh retail chain. Clothes come from a shop that is a one and only family owned and operated shop. I would eat at JuJuBee before I would eat at any of the big chains, (only exception is PF Changs so JuJuBee might have some competition), and when we get Pizza it comes from local pizza shops and not Pizza Hut or Domino's etc. I really do try to do my part and I think that is why I am a very welcome customer everywhere that I spend my dollars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursa Majoris Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Oh and one thing that Wal-Mart is good for here in Pittsburgh is it keeps guys like me making sure that I spend my money where I feel it is going to help my local the most. I mean I buy my shoes from a shoe maker that orders them in for me. I get my bread from a 50 year old bakery. Meds come from a small family owned shop and not a hugh retail chain. Clothes come from a shop that is a one and only family owned and operated shop. I would eat at JuJuBee before I would eat at any of the big chains, (only exception is PF Changs so JuJuBee might have some competition), and when we get Pizza it comes from local pizza shops and not Pizza Hut or Domino's etc. I really do try to do my part and I think that is why I am a very welcome customer everywhere that I spend my dollars. I like this a lot. I'll have to make an effort to do this myself. It's far too easy to be sucked in to the big box stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brewer Posted January 31, 2008 Share Posted January 31, 2008 Wal-Mart has a primary purpose. It is to make it's stock holders as much money as possible. It's only responsibility to it's employees is to provide a safe work space. If the labor market tightens up then at some point in the future, they may offer better bennies or higher wages, but they have no obligation to do so. Yes Wal-Mart is a huge corporation, has a huge revenue, and normally high profits, but it also has a huge amount of outstanding stock, and stockholders. People bitch about Wal-Mart, and all the money it makes, well maybe they should buy some stock in it, and take part in those profits. I can understand bitching about the quality of the products, the cleanliness of the stores, or the long lines at the register, but to that I'd say just do like I do and don't go to Wal-Mart. I never shop at Wal-Mart, I hate going into the place, but I do own stock in it. I would also think that Walmart should have some other purposes in the community, but as far as I can tell, they don't. My company, and many other smaller companies in the area support all sorts of charitabel community events. The walmart doesn't do crap. I guess that they can't afford to. Yes I understand their responsability to stockholders, but I believe that you have a resposabiltiy to the community that you rely upon for business as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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