Large Companies Consider Dropping Health Coverage

[Danube]

So much for "if you like your insurance you can keep it". No doubt individuals will also pay fines instead of buying insurance since with no pre-existings excluded people will buy insurance when needed.

"The great mystery surrounding the historic health care bill is how the corporations that provide coverage for most Americans -- coverage they know and prize -- will react to the new law's radically different regime of subsidies, penalties, and taxes. Now, we're getting a remarkable inside look at the options AT&T, Deere, and other big companies are weighing to deal with the new legislation.Internal documents recently reviewed by Fortune, originally requested by Congress, show what the bill's critics predicted, and what its champions dreaded: many large companies are examining a course that was heretofore unthinkable, dumping the health care coverage they provide to their workers in exchange for paying penalty fees to the government."


http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/05/news/companies/dropping_benefits.fortune/index.htm?cnn=yes&hpt=C2

 

[Vette73]

Good then maybe people will see what health insurance REALLY cost.

I love seeing people say its only XYZ a month and is great. They don;t see the other hugh amount paid by someone else. Want to get people upset, show them the FULL bill.

 

[PricklyPete]

This should work out wonderfully.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Good then maybe people will see what health insurance REALLY cost.

I love seeing people say its only XYZ a month and is great. They don;t see the other hugh amount paid by someone else. Want to get people upset, show them the FULL bill.

Doesn't cost a penny if you don't have it.

 

[DesiPower]

So what happens next? more and more companies and ppl keep dropping HC, eventually very few ppl have HC and can afford non emergency care. Docs and hospitals start loosing business...
Would they (Docs and hospitals) close their business and run away or drop their price?

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Gee more faux outrage for shit that won't happen

Sure large companies want to save a buck but their not fucking stupid. Anyone with half a brain knows the second a company does this effectively dealing a huge paycut to employees, that said employees will bail in massive numbers.

Get back to me when a large company actually tries this. Ain't gonna happen

 

[nobodyknows]

Doesn't cost a penny if you don't have it.

Health insurance won't but of course actual health care will. Just don't get sick, right!

 

[Genx87]

Good then maybe people will see what health insurance REALLY cost.

I love seeing people say its only XYZ a month and is great. They don;t see the other hugh amount paid by someone else. Want to get people upset, show them the FULL bill.

I think it is funny you want people to experience the "cost" of health insurance, but not the "cost" of healthcare.

 

[nobodyknows]

Gee more faux outrage for shit that won't happen

Sure large companies want to save a buck but their not fucking stupid. Anyone with half a brain knows the second a company does this effectively dealing a huge paycut to employees, that said employees will bail in massive numbers.

Get back to me when a large company actually tries this. Ain't gonna happen

What if they just pay their employees what they were spending for their health care in order to wash their hands of the mess.

 

[Vette73]

I think it is funny you want people to experience the "cost" of health insurance, but not the "cost" of healthcare.

Goes hand in hand.

Many doctors offer rates cheaper if you pay cash, even more so then they get paid by insurance sometimes. The cost of having people on salary to just handle claims and paper work gets added to the bill. Remove them and remove a good amount of cost that could be passed down.

An example I use a lot is the small dentist office my mom works at. They have 1 person and the majority of that eprsons job is just to handle all the forms, claims, and general BS dealing with the insurance side. And this is in a small office. My Ortho doc's office had 3 people to do that. 2 claims/insurance and 1 at the front desk that would help people and also help on the insurance side when free. Let alone sometimes the insurance compnay would wnat to talk to the Doc to verfy the claim and what they did, i.e. Docs time.

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Gee more faux outrage for shit that won't happen

Sure large companies want to save a buck but their not fucking stupid. Anyone with half a brain knows the second a company does this effectively dealing a huge paycut to employees, that said employees will bail in massive numbers.

Get back to me when a large company actually tries this. Ain't gonna happen

Employees will massively bail to where exactly?

 

[PokerGuy]

Gee more faux outrage for shit that won't happen

Sure large companies want to save a buck but their not fucking stupid. Anyone with half a brain knows the second a company does this effectively dealing a huge paycut to employees, that said employees will bail in massive numbers.

Get back to me when a large company actually tries this. Ain't gonna happen

Are you stupid? Just where are all those employees going to go to if all the other large companies in sectors do the same thing? Corporations are going to do a cost benefit analysis and react accordingly. I'm sure many will dump the health care plans.

 

[Danube]

Anyone with half a brain knows the second a company does this effectively dealing a huge paycut to employees, that said employees will bail in massive numbers.

Maybe top execs will keep bennies but lots of others are replaceable if they did leave. Once one company does it others will rush to do the same.

 

[her209]

What if they just pay their employees what they were spending for their health care in order to wash their hands of the mess.

LOL good luck with that. Your employer will laugh in your face.

 

[Genx87]

Goes hand in hand.

Many doctors offer rates cheaper if you pay cash, even more so then they get paid by insurance sometimes. The cost of having people on salary to just handle claims and paper work gets added to the bill. Remove them and remove a good amount of cost that could be passed down.

An example I use a lot is the small dentist office my mom works at. They have 1 person and the majority of that eprsons job is just to handle all the forms, claims, and general BS dealing with the insurance side. And this is in a small office. My Ortho doc's office had 3 people to do that. 2 claims/insurance and 1 at the front desk that would help people and also help on the insurance side when free. Let alone sometimes the insurance compnay would wnat to talk to the Doc to verfy the claim and what they did, i.e. Docs time.

So you are in agreement with me that insurance should be catastrophic in nature only? No more 15 and 30 dollar copays regardless if private or public insurance is "picking" up the tab?

 

[Paratus]

This will lead to a single payer system.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Maybe this will encourage Americans to finally face the nation's health care problem and adopt real socialized medicine (which has proven to be far superior, less expensive, less wasteful, and more efficient than our current system).

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Are you stupid? Just where are all those employees going to go to if all the other large companies in sectors do the same thing? Corporations are going to do a cost benefit analysis and react accordingly. I'm sure many will dump the health care plans.

Most have already dumped retirement healthcare...and it now looks like the other shoe is dropping as an unexpected consequence of our recent healthcare legislation. I imagine that these 'great thinkers' who created this 'historic' legislation will resolve the issue by increasing penalties further to a give corporations a more compelling cost/benefit analysis to consider. That's just how they roll.

 

[Vette73]

So you are in agreement with me that insurance should be catastrophic in nature only? No more 15 and 30 dollar copays regardless if private or public insurance is "picking" up the tab?

If we can get REAL cost of health care down and/or offer other options as in some areas like the ones you and I are in that would work. But I would guess for more rual areas it may not work as well with even fewwer Docs. I also agree with JS80 and others that that have posted here that the AMA is holding the number of docs down. When your rates are based on little selection and the people that control are the same there is a hugh conflict there IMO.
I don't think there is a simple one fix all. The problem is for the last several decades we have all been pissing about it but doing nothing.

Right now I have the cheapest bare bones health insurance I can get at the Fed Level. I pay cash for dental cleaning, fat cash discount. So I kinda already do what you are talking about. :awe:

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Sure large companies want to save a buck but their not fucking stupid. Anyone with half a brain knows the second a company does this effectively dealing a huge paycut to employees, that said employees will bail in massive numbers.

That's funny, because when we had this discussion last summer/early fall, you guys (not you specifically, but many supporters) assured me that if companies dropped the coverage and let the government or individuals pick it up, the employees at those companies would all magically get raises since the company was saving so much money. FWIW, I laughed when they said it then and laugh even thinking about it now.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

What if they just pay their employees what they were spending for their health care in order to wash their hands of the mess.

That's what you guys said would happen last summer/fall when we debated it. Trust me, that will never happen.

 

[her209]

Are you stupid? Just where are all those employees going to go to if all the other large companies in sectors do the same thing? Corporations are going to do a cost benefit analysis and react accordingly. I'm sure many will dump the health care plans.

Maybe top execs will keep bennies but lots of others are replaceable if they did leave. Once one company does it others will rush to do the same.

A race to the bottom (line) if you will.

:biggrin:

 

[highland145]

Maybe top execs will keep bennies but lots of others are replaceable if they did leave.

Sounds like what congress did for themselves. Puds.

 

[CPA]

Gee more faux outrage for shit that won't happen

Sure large companies want to save a buck but their not fucking stupid. Anyone with half a brain knows the second a company does this effectively dealing a huge paycut to employees, that said employees will bail in massive numbers.

Get back to me when a large company actually tries this. Ain't gonna happen

uh, yeah, in this economy people are going to bail. Think before you speak.

 

[CPA]

This will lead to a single payer system.

Which is exactly what the Dems wanted all along.