by Newfie » Sat 07 Sep 2019, 11:10:03
OK, that’s what I thought, you are judging by your experience, and I have had the same experience.
However I do see some drawbacks.
Because I worked for 40 years without being laid off I was never without health care. This creates tremendous pressure to never ever allow yourself to be laid off. Or take some time off between jobs.
This stress creates psychological problems in many, perhaps even yourself, without being aware. It contributes to stress related diseases such as hypertension and obesity and depression which can lead to suicide.
It’s especially rough on folks who develop a pre-existing condition within the family, this can lick them into the job they have, make them almost unemployable.
It also leads to the lack of pricing, no true price discovery. Those of us with goldfish plans get wacked with high hospital bills so that the excess they get from covers the shortfall in payment from Medicare, Medicaid, and charity walk ins they can not refuse.
I believe it also erodes your salary, it’s another one of the hidden taxes. You get”compensation” in the form of payroll and benefits. If the health benefit is very expensive, and they are, then there is less money for your pocket. Because the insurance payment system is convoluted and expensive your “compensation” dollars Pay for all the various clerks and insurance specialist and collections agencies involved. A whole industry that feeds on the waste of our current work based insurance system.
If we got rid of this work based system, implemented some basic and catastrophic coverage, then the savings could go to you in your pocket to pay for whatever supplemental plan you want.