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Is my advice too mercenary?

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Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#41

Post by kube-system »

agentdrtran wrote: post #29
kube-system wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Health insurance is "tied to employment" because of wage controls that were implemented in WWII. Employers still had trouble hiring people, and because they were prohibited from raising wages, they had to find other ways to attract people: benefits. Health insurance then became a popular benefit. Also, note that you can buy your own health insurance in the US. You are not required to use health insurance provided by…

You are free to buy your own (expensive, much worse) health insurance rather than through an employer, sure.

Having had both, this is not my experience. My experience is that employer plans have fewer choices and similar or higher rates. They're cheap because my employer is paying most of the bill.

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#42

Post by sidewndr46 »

fellowniusmonk wrote: post #5

It truly is shocking that health insurance is tied to employment status. I really think this is a large part of the trend towards overt ruthlessness in the USA, no one has their back so they have no ones back, as people age and experience medical bankruptcy (or narrowly avoid it at great cost) they are realizing this ruthlessness in our system.

As an American who has worked closely with the Federal government, I'm significantly more afraid of the idea that the government would be responsible for my medical care.

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#43

Post by lcnPylGDnU4H9OF »

duxup wrote: post #22

I’m not inclined to do an exit interview because I’ve likely already expressed my opinions. I do think the “the company doesn’t care about you” type advice does require some nuance. Different companies make different choices and just because someone moves from mega corporation to mega corp doesn’t mean you shouldn’t trust anyone… There’s space in between giving your entire self to a company and imagining everyone is…

> I do think the “the company doesn’t care about you” type advice does require some nuance.

Probably something like: The company doesn't care about you regardless of the individuals at the company who might care about you. (Unless one of those individuals is the CEO, I guess. More nuance!)

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#44

Post by fellowniusmonk »

mdldldl wrote: post #34
rootusrootus wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It truly is shocking that health insurance is tied to employment status. I think "annoying" is a better description. It's not shocking at all, it was a fairly predictable outcome given the situation. It is really annoying that we haven't managed to walk it back to something more reasonable since then.

Quoted post unavailable.

I am old enough to remember families (my own included) being destroyed by this same reality pre-ACA. Insurance being tied to your job was a pre-aca reality.

I was born with heart defects, pre-aca it was literally impossible for me to get private, non-corporate coverage, I tried for years.

At least denying coverage for pre-existing conditions means that getting diagnosed between jobs isn't a complete family destroying death sentence like it was for mine.

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#45

Post by replygirl »

kube-system wrote: post #41
agentdrtran wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are free to buy your own (expensive, much worse) health insurance rather than through an employer, sure.

Having had both, this is not my experience. My experience is that employer plans have fewer choices and similar or higher rates. They're cheap because my employer is paying most of the bill.

I haven't had insurance for five years because the (major, national) providers who cover what I need aren't available on my state's marketplace (NY).

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#46

Post by brimble »

mdldldl wrote: post #34
rootusrootus wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It truly is shocking that health insurance is tied to employment status. I think "annoying" is a better description. It's not shocking at all, it was a fairly predictable outcome given the situation. It is really annoying that we haven't managed to walk it back to something more reasonable since then.

Quoted post unavailable.

The ACA ossified the existing system a bit, but employer-provided care was the norm before the ACA. That or just not having any insurance, especially for young people working for small companies.

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#47

Post by faller »

rootusrootus wrote: post #9
fellowniusmonk wrote: post #5

It truly is shocking that health insurance is tied to employment status. I really think this is a large part of the trend towards overt ruthlessness in the USA, no one has their back so they have no ones back, as people age and experience medical bankruptcy (or narrowly avoid it at great cost) they are realizing this ruthlessness in our system.

> It truly is shocking that health insurance is tied to employment status. I think "annoying" is a better description. It's not shocking at all, it was a fairly predictable outcome given the situation. It is really annoying that we haven't managed to walk it back to something more reasonable since then.

> I think "annoying" is a better description.

Tying your personal health and that of your loved ones to your employer gives your boss unduly leverage over yourself, particularly when there are life and death decisions to be made.

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#48

Post by uoaei »

vmception wrote: post #14

Thank you for this! I have been raised in and appreciate a Machiavellian approach to society, especially upwards mobility. I have no sympathy for workplace advice that attempts to coddle someone who cannot psychologically operate in a world told more truthfully. “Mercenary” advice works in this environment, being more like a mercenary, a “sell sword”, is a pragmatic approach than being gaslit by the company’s “were a…

I see only a complete rejection of the collaborative organization that is society, which provided literally everything that gave you the opportunities and outcomes you now enjoy. And now you brag about enriching yourself beyond your share, occupying space where others could make use of those opportunities, reducing the opportunities for everyone in the future.

Society improves when more people have more chances to contribute positively. There is so much underutilized talent out there. To block off those opportunities hampers the development of society writ large.

Still have an obsessive attachment to acting purely selfishly? Then think of it like this: acting to close off others' opportunities prevents them from inventing and producing things that you could benefit from. Would you act differently knowing that giving someone else a chance may lead to the development of a medicine that will save your life a few years down the road?

Also, that last paragraph makes me think you don't really interact with real human beings that often.

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#49

Post by jakelazaroff »

sidewndr46 wrote: post #42
fellowniusmonk wrote: post #5

It truly is shocking that health insurance is tied to employment status. I really think this is a large part of the trend towards overt ruthlessness in the USA, no one has their back so they have no ones back, as people age and experience medical bankruptcy (or narrowly avoid it at great cost) they are realizing this ruthlessness in our system.

As an American who has worked closely with the Federal government, I'm significantly more afraid of the idea that the government would be responsible for my medical care.

What issues with government-run health insurance are you worried about?

Re: Is my advice too mercenary?

#50

Post by kube-system »

replygirl wrote: post #45
kube-system wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having had both, this is not my experience. My experience is that employer plans have fewer choices and similar or higher rates. They're cheap because my employer is paying most of the bill.

I haven't had insurance for five years because the (major, national) providers who cover what I need aren't available on my state's marketplace (NY).

Is it available off-market? That's how I bought my insurance (in another state). My state has a marketplace too, but I found better plans directly through the insurer's website.
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