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Employer health plans are getting pricier and skimpier

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Re: Employer health plans are getting pricier and skimpier

#11

I was just thinking the other day. Every job I've had has offered health insurance through the state BCBS. Those plans are ways a little over $100/m (for a single worker) Meanwhile, I've had people brag to me about paying $10/ for damn to near full coverage. I'm starting to wonder if BCBS employer plans are just garbage

BCBS often just administers the plan that the employer offers. The statistical value of single insurance (Basic ACA) for 1 year is north of $10,000, so $1200 has the employer picking up most of the tab still.

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Re: Employer health plans are getting pricier and skimpier

#14

The sooner we can completely divorce healthcare from employment, the better.

I hear this statement all the time...but what does it mean?

If employers didn't provide health insurance to employees wouldn't we just wind up with 40% of the insured uninsured? Its not like Corporate America is going to make up the difference and start paying cash to compensate for the lost benefit, at least thats what happened as pensions got stripped away from the workplace. Even if the employer's did make up the cash difference, its not like that will bring pricing down, individuals can't negotiate individual insurance rates, pools of employees can negotiate group rates, so if anything costs would probably go up.

How will this help: 1) insured more people; or 2) bring costs down?

Re: Employer health plans are getting pricier and skimpier

#18

The sooner we can completely divorce healthcare from employment, the better.

I hear this statement all the time...but what does it mean? If employers didn't provide health insurance to employees wouldn't we just wind up with 40% of the insured uninsured? Its not like Corporate America is going to make up the difference and start paying cash to compensate for the lost benefit, at least thats what happened as pensions got stripped away from the workplace. Even if the employer's did make up the…

> individuals can't negotiate individual insurance rates, pools of employees can negotiate group rates, so if anything costs would probably go up

This is why the exchanges exist. They're huge pools of people on a group rate. New York state negotiates with insurers on my behalf, and is additionally able to regulate their premium increases each year.

Re: Employer health plans are getting pricier and skimpier

#20

The sooner we can completely divorce healthcare from employment, the better.

I hear this statement all the time...but what does it mean? If employers didn't provide health insurance to employees wouldn't we just wind up with 40% of the insured uninsured? Its not like Corporate America is going to make up the difference and start paying cash to compensate for the lost benefit, at least thats what happened as pensions got stripped away from the workplace. Even if the employer's did make up the…

We would do what every other country does and offer healthcare as a basic right? The whole point of "Medicare for All" is to divorce employers from their employee's healthcare. The gov't negotiates on behalf of everyone.
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