my parents (farmers) budgeted every year for their own health insurance. they had no choice. they did it. now i'm not sure with the economy the way it is that alot of people can afford health insurance. my husband got on a group plan with blue cross/blue shield. he pays $120/month - no Rx coverage & has a $5,000 deductible. basically it's for a catastrophic incident. so until he reaches that deductible he's 'self pay' & gets slammed big time by the doctors, often paying at least twice what someone with insurance coverage would pay. it sucks but we deal with it.
Originally Posted by: 4PackGirl
Honestly, I could complain about my situation and the money that I fork out, but truly that is not my point. I can afford to budget a portion of my earning for the medical care, purchasing a new leg very couple years not so much, but I always find a way. Generally it costs me something finer in life that I may want, but surely don't need.
My point is I talk to fellow employee's working in the plant and running under the same health care plan. Our family plan is right around 380/month with a 10 k deducible. Fairly standard in the area.. even better than some.
They can't afford to go see the doctors for routine checkups, to me, for the fine country we live in there is something completely wrong with that.
Especially, when you see something like Badger care fully covering someone that isn't working. Talk about ass backwards, what is the motivation to work?
That said.. at least those children have a shot at proper health care, something that is becoming less and less the norm for a working family.
I am not going to preach that I think the government should regulate health care, because I truly don't.
Here is what I see, the bulk of this country, the working class; we are getting squeezed from every angle imaginable. Health care, energy, heck a week worth's of groceries for a family is at least a C note. Top that with an economy that has put wages in a virtual freeze, the ends don't meet.
Average salary for a manufacturing position locally.. hovering right around 12.50.
12.50 * 40 (if they are lucky enough to work a full week) = 500 / week. = 1000 a payroll gross.
Taxes.. lets take the medium of .3 off to cover taxes, varies upon claiming #. $300 for Taxes.
$176.74 off the top for health insurance premiums.
Lets go with an average commute of 10 miles one way per day.. probably light in this rural area, but fair. So lets budget 1 gallon of gas a day.. 3.50 * 10 working days... $35.00 in Gas
Groceries.. we tighten the belt and spend 75 a week. Try it with a family.. that is tight.
$150/Groceries.
So lets update.. the totals.. so far.. we don't have a place to live covered yet..
1000
-300
-176.74 Taxes
-35 Gas
-150 Groceries
So far we have 338.26 left out of that paycheck.
Average rental property here.. 2 bedroom. Realistically, can have a decent place for 350 /month.
So that is another 175ish for rent per check.
163.26.
Car insurance, day care, lunch money for the kids.. clothes, house/renters insurance, property taxes.. car payment, etc.
Sure if both work it loosens it up a some, but realistically, around here, most jobs are working 26 to 32 hours a week average with an unemployment rate hoovering around the national average.
I just don't see how a working class family can make ends meet, let alone save up enough money to bankroll a 10k, hell even a 5k deducible for health care.
My point is that system was broken well before ObamaCare.. and that surely didn't fix it.
Maybe my vision of HealthCare is out of whack.. I don't believe it should be a profit machine, but a service to society. I don't think it should be operating in the red, but it definitely shouldn't be operating in record profit areas either. And I am not pointing at one element or another, I am talking collectively as a sector of society as a whole.
To bring it back full circle to topic.. again why should employee A be asked for pay for someones contraceptives? We are already covering all government employees salaries, health care etc. We are floating along the willfully unemployed that can work, just choose not to either the available jobs are "below" them or they truly just don't want to work.
IMO.. anyone unemployed for more than a couple months just doesn't want a job, they might not be in there dream job or even in there field, but they could be working just the same.
My point with asking the question.. allowing the health care industry to regulate itself hasN'T *(Edit) worked at all. Sure it has boosted the level of care that can be provided, as long as you are one of the lucky ones, that either have it paid for or can afford to pay for it.
So we know government regulations are only going to add to the problem.. we know the public will abuse any system in which it would be affordable by flooding the care providers with trivial matters. We know the insurance industry is not in it to provide care, it is about the bottom line for them. And we know the mega hospital isn't in it to save people, again it is about the bottom line, saving people or providing an outstanding level of care is a bonus when possible.
Sure we have more options available in this country than most.. the catch is it really is a realistic opportunity for all.
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"