dextermech
Mechanical
At my current job, I have to pay $185 per WEEK for health insurance. The employer pays 50%, we pay 50%. No dental, no vision. Have any of you ever HEARD if benefits this bad? It's really starting to tick me off...
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Health benefits 4
- Thread starter dextermech
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That is a lot! I think I pay almost that a month for a family of 5 ... med, vision & dental.
You must be with a small company or small/privately owned.
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)
You must be with a small company or small/privately owned.
Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)
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- #3
Dexter,
That is pretty common. You are covered for very little money, and your family is usually an additional amound. Depending on how big your family is, this can add up. Depending on what type of company you are with, you could shop around to see if you can get a better plan or less costly plan, and try to negotiate with your employer to pay YOU instead of the insurance company an amound equal to their contribution for you. Chances are, however, that this will cost you much much more $$ for less coverage.
Wes C.
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No trees were killed in the sending of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
That is pretty common. You are covered for very little money, and your family is usually an additional amound. Depending on how big your family is, this can add up. Depending on what type of company you are with, you could shop around to see if you can get a better plan or less costly plan, and try to negotiate with your employer to pay YOU instead of the insurance company an amound equal to their contribution for you. Chances are, however, that this will cost you much much more $$ for less coverage.
Wes C.
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Is that a pretty good plan? That's $1,500 a month if the employer's covering half, and that's quite a lot. At my last job, our rates were fairly low, ~$600/mo for a family, but it was a major medical plan that had a 35% deductible, $35 copay, and only covered generic medications. In our case, the company covered about half of that $600.
These days, if you don't work for a big company or the government, you're gonna get hosed on the benefits side.
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How much do YOU owe?
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These days, if you don't work for a big company or the government, you're gonna get hosed on the benefits side.
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How much do YOU owe?
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- #6
dextermech
Mechanical
What is considered bigger than a "small" company these days?
I'd say revenues over $100 million, more than about 150 people starts to move you into the low-end of the mid-size range.
You probably need to look at profitability, too.
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How much do YOU owe?
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You probably need to look at profitability, too.
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How much do YOU owe?
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At the last 2 companies I was at, we didn't have any health insurance benefits available. No dental, no drugs, no vision, no nothing.
So, I guess your's isn't so bad.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
So, I guess your's isn't so bad.
"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?
No health benefits at all.
That is downright immoral given that the US health system is essentially predicated on having insurance.
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How much do YOU owe?
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That is downright immoral given that the US health system is essentially predicated on having insurance.
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How much do YOU owe?
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That's pretty bad. At my present company, they proclaimed they had health insurance benefits. My "half" is about $600 per month (less than your $185 per week, but still bad). Thais is outrageous.
I stayed on my wife's company's plan. She is actually a co-owner of her company, so I get some insight into the real deal with insurance. Her company of course pays for our insurance, but its only about $300 per month.
Why would my company's inruance be twice what my wife's company's is- for the same type of coiverage? IT makes no sense. I hardly believe that if I put up the $600 per month for insurance through my company that they would actually be putting up the same $600 even theough they claim that they pay half of the premium.
To me it appears that they use this false benefit to make it look like they have all the things other companies have, but when it comes down to it, its really not a benefit at all- just smoke in mirrors.
If they were gonna put up $600 per month towards my insurace if I matched it (again I doubt that seriously), they should give me that amount or at least some amount even if less than that towards an outside policy- if it were a real benefit. But when asked they said they wouldn't and didn't do that.
Its not right. Its a scam.
Ed
I stayed on my wife's company's plan. She is actually a co-owner of her company, so I get some insight into the real deal with insurance. Her company of course pays for our insurance, but its only about $300 per month.
Why would my company's inruance be twice what my wife's company's is- for the same type of coiverage? IT makes no sense. I hardly believe that if I put up the $600 per month for insurance through my company that they would actually be putting up the same $600 even theough they claim that they pay half of the premium.
To me it appears that they use this false benefit to make it look like they have all the things other companies have, but when it comes down to it, its really not a benefit at all- just smoke in mirrors.
If they were gonna put up $600 per month towards my insurace if I matched it (again I doubt that seriously), they should give me that amount or at least some amount even if less than that towards an outside policy- if it were a real benefit. But when asked they said they wouldn't and didn't do that.
Its not right. Its a scam.
Ed
DaveVikingPE
Structural
I pay $310 a month (family plan). Employer matches. There are co-payments and the dental plan isn't anything to shout about, so I've suplimented it with an additional $50 a month dental plan through my union.
Good? Bad?
Well, it's something. One thing is for sure: it's a lot easier to walk into a doctor's office and give them my insurance card than to do the processing myself.
Good? Bad?
Well, it's something. One thing is for sure: it's a lot easier to walk into a doctor's office and give them my insurance card than to do the processing myself.
$7800 a yr for seems a trifle high, but that's somewhat consistent with Blue Cross of CA rates (see page 8 of 20):
You'd have to compare benefits line-item by line-item to be able to accurately judge.
The biggest cost factor in medical coverage is the risk pool. In a company like mine, with over l0,000 employees, and self-insuring, e.g., the company is actually the insurance company, you could get contributions a lot lower, say $25 per week, but the benefits might not be as good and the overall payout caps might be different.
TTFN
You'd have to compare benefits line-item by line-item to be able to accurately judge.
The biggest cost factor in medical coverage is the risk pool. In a company like mine, with over l0,000 employees, and self-insuring, e.g., the company is actually the insurance company, you could get contributions a lot lower, say $25 per week, but the benefits might not be as good and the overall payout caps might be different.
TTFN
Wake up. Healtcare is outrageously expensive. I'd say that what you are experiencing is, if not normal, then certainly the harbinger of the future.
It wasn't too many years ago that health benefits at any company didn't even exist. It was a perquisite dreamed up to attract & retain certain talent. It blossomed to the point that most companies offered it. Then somebody decided that companies would be the distribution vehicle for healthcare benefits. Now it appears that everyone thinks they are entitled to health insurance, the best care that it can buy, and for no cost whatsoever.
Hit the net and try to get your own health insurance coverage. You'll discover how much it costs to have everything you want covered. You may see what a financial burden is being placed on your company management to provide healt benefits, and still make a profit. The alternative is governmental healthcare, but it's impossible if everyone wants to pay less taxes.
TygerDawg
It wasn't too many years ago that health benefits at any company didn't even exist. It was a perquisite dreamed up to attract & retain certain talent. It blossomed to the point that most companies offered it. Then somebody decided that companies would be the distribution vehicle for healthcare benefits. Now it appears that everyone thinks they are entitled to health insurance, the best care that it can buy, and for no cost whatsoever.
Hit the net and try to get your own health insurance coverage. You'll discover how much it costs to have everything you want covered. You may see what a financial burden is being placed on your company management to provide healt benefits, and still make a profit. The alternative is governmental healthcare, but it's impossible if everyone wants to pay less taxes.
TygerDawg
NozzleTwister
Mechanical
I pay $150 each two weeks for family coverage. My employer says they cover 75% of the cost. We have dental and vision but they are not included with the medical, they are addtional plans we can opt for at an addtional premium.
Almost everybody that I know of in town working for an EPC contractor pays much more than I for less coverage.
NozzleTwister
Houston, Texas
Almost everybody that I know of in town working for an EPC contractor pays much more than I for less coverage.
NozzleTwister
Houston, Texas
Again,
My wife owns her company so we see it from both sides of the fence. Our policy through her company is an excelent one and costs half what my company claims the policy is.
I honestly believe my company and other go with some high-priced deal to be able to say they offer insurance, but no one is going to bite on something that cost twice what it does elsewhere.
I'm not just using my wife's company as a measuring stick. I'm looking at evry place I've worked. $600 per month is twice what I have ever paid.
Why "offer" something that is grossly unaffordable? Could it be to put a feather in your cap so you can act like you're one of the big dogs? Why shouldn't the company put their money where their mouth is and offer a monthly stipend in the amount they claim they would pony up if were to elect to go with their outrageous mock plan?
Awake and wondering.
Ed
My wife owns her company so we see it from both sides of the fence. Our policy through her company is an excelent one and costs half what my company claims the policy is.
I honestly believe my company and other go with some high-priced deal to be able to say they offer insurance, but no one is going to bite on something that cost twice what it does elsewhere.
I'm not just using my wife's company as a measuring stick. I'm looking at evry place I've worked. $600 per month is twice what I have ever paid.
Why "offer" something that is grossly unaffordable? Could it be to put a feather in your cap so you can act like you're one of the big dogs? Why shouldn't the company put their money where their mouth is and offer a monthly stipend in the amount they claim they would pony up if were to elect to go with their outrageous mock plan?
Awake and wondering.
Ed
Not sure of the company tax system in the US, but maybe a $1 extra spent on employee health care can be written off or claimed against tax better than a $1 extra spent on employee renumeration.
Just like right now I am better off leasing a vehicle and claiming it as an opex than if I bought it outright and claimed it as an asset. It's the same item, similar overall costs but the advantage is there.
LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Leading Hand, Natural Horseman, Prickle Farmer, Crack Shot, Venerable Yogi.
Just like right now I am better off leasing a vehicle and claiming it as an opex than if I bought it outright and claimed it as an asset. It's the same item, similar overall costs but the advantage is there.
LewTam Inc.
Petrophysicist, Leading Hand, Natural Horseman, Prickle Farmer, Crack Shot, Venerable Yogi.
I know that state agencies in California will give you a cash payment in lieu of exercising health benefits. It is as lewtam says and they pay you less than the cost of the insurance both because they can deduct insurance costs and they must pay payroll taxes on the cash. Still, it is standard practice for the state.
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How much do YOU owe?
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How much do YOU owe?
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Wow I never realised that the costs were that large for employers or employees the OP quotes $9,620 pa, that is a full years salary in some countries for an engineer.
Do employers also have to contribute to nation or state taxes on top of that?
Do employers also have to contribute to nation or state taxes on top of that?
SomptingGuy
Automotive
wooo! Am I glad I didn't stay in the US? When my terminal illness appears for me it won't bleed me and my dependents dry before doing its job on me.
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