All of my past employers offered health insurance, even the contract firms. They used it for bribery to get the “best” employees. The insurance seldom covers most of what you end up paying though if you are an unhealthy type. My mom had private insurance, medicare and supplemental insurance, but when leukemia hit, there were still plenty of costs for her to pick up.
I am not sure it is up to employers to fix the insurance mess. I wing it now as a self-employed type, but if I hire employees, I am not sure it is up to me to provide health insurance for all their spawn they crank out. Nor is it up to me to subsidize their unhealthy use of legal drugs and massive quantities of fast foods.
Folks diss Hillary, but folks on both sides of the aisle will admit her health plans were good, but blocked by egotistical, self-serving folks of both parties. The medical and insurance industries are too entrenched to do the right thing on their own. Quit rehiring bad docs. Quit letting hospitals charge multiple times for the same sevice, etc. Start encouraging people to quit cranking out kids endlessly. And look over Hillary’s old plans and tell us why you think ignoring them does taxpayers any health favors, But don’t dump it on already squeezed small business owners. As I said, bring the money from the sands back GB and we will wipe its sandy wittle feets and put it to work for our citizens’ health. When I speak to folks from europe, I am constantly reminded about how backwards this country is.

I am self-employed, and I am the only employee, so I pay big bucks for health insurance. But we’ve never had to use it, though, in the 4 years that we’ve had it! (Neither of us regularly visits the MD, at this point in our lives.) And we don’t bother to purchase vision and dental policies. Our dentist gives us a big break, though, probably because we pay cash. (??)

I’ve only had dental and vision coverage for the last 5 years or so, and I’m about ready to not get it in the future. I’m just not sure it’s worth it.

To the larger question, I think the day is coming, not far off, where the major employers are going to get out of the insurance business. When that happens, the house of cards will collapse. What SHOULD happen is that the employers should immediately increase the employee’s pay by the amount paid on their behalf for insurance (one time payment), AND the insurers should come up with some easily understood and predictable medical policies patterned after the “HO1, HO2, HO3″ homeowners policies we’re all familiar with. I don’t think medical insurance will ever be truly affordable without some sort of carrot AND stick that forces people who could buy it but don’t think they need it to buy into it to increase the risk pool. Even at that, some sort of public subsidy will be required for those at the low end of the income scales.

By the way, I looked at my pay stub that came today, and I hadn’t realized that almost exactly 50% of my gross pay goes to Taxes, Insurance, and retirement. And I’ve got my 401K at 12% of gross. My employer has (so far) spent another 12% above my gross income on insurance for me. Scary.

While I worked at Boeing everything was paid 100%.Dental 80% Now that I am retired I have most expensive Medicare available plus secondary.No dental but my dentist allows me a big discount.

I am very perplexed that no one is talking about McCain’s proposed “solution” to the Health Care Crisis in America. He wants to SCRAP Employer-Based health insurance, and throw everyone into the snake pit of Individual policies.

Here is McCain’s plan…
1) Give each family a tax credit of $5000. Of course, the average Individual family policy costs over $12,000, and could easily cost over $24,000.

2) Employer policies are forbidden from turning down anyone for pre-existing conditions. Those protections do not exist under Individual policies. Huge numbers of people will have their applications for insurance REJECTED.

3) Employer policies are forbidden from canceling your policy when you get sick. Those protections do not exist under Individual policies. When people get seriously ill, they will be shocked to find their insurance CANCELED. The insurance companies get to keep your premiums, while you get stuck with the medical bills.

Basically, McCain wants to take the very WORST parts of our current mess of a system, and inflict them on EVERYONE.

Kurt: My LOI (lady of interest) her company provides insurance to her for every conceivable thing that could go wrong with her. She does not pay 1 penny and there is no deductible. The company also has a life insurance policy on her that they will collect if she dies, or becomes unable to do her job, and a life insurance policy for her to designate her beneficiaries.

As, for me, I have sickness insurance that I buy. When my bill passes 100K, CIGNA picks my bills and pays everything beyond that. My cost is less than my bar bill.

Now, about companies providing sickness insurance, I never provided it for any company I owned. I paid each employee X dollars per month over and above their salary, bonuses, and profit sharing. They could use the X dollars to buy insurance, a house, or groceries….just anything.

My HR department could devote their time to other issues rather than about someone being sick and doing horrendous paperwork. It was very important to my employees who could be covered by a spouse who was working.

However we won’t have to worry about insurance when either Hellary or Hussein is elected. Everyone will completely covered from birth to death. It will all be FREE. GOOD TIMES ARE AHEAD!!!!!!!!!

I really don’t think it is the employer’s responsibility to provide medical/dental/vision insurance. It is in the employer’s best interest to do so if said company wants to attract and retain “the best and the brightest.” I do believe that as time goes by, employer sponsored med insurance will be as rare as pension plans.

My company provides medical and dental and vision. But in another year when I retire I’ll be on my own. OUCH!

As far as family coverage is concerned, I think that the employees should have to pick up their part of the premium for each family member covered. Under our old insurance plan, we had one divorced mom with one kid who was paying the same outrageous “family plan” premiums as some other employees who had a spouse and ten kids covered for the same amount of payroll deduction. I’m sorry, but that simply was not right. Our current plan is a little better….

Employers provide medical, dental and vision coverage to employees as part of a package designed to attract and retain employees. It is a cost of business.

Like all costs of business, it will be managed and evaluated for effectiveness. If the cost to the employer outweighs the benefit it provides the employer, the employer has every right and reason to act to reduce the cost.

If employers are not successful in negotiating reductions in premiums for such insurance, one should expect to see the coverage for which they pay reduced. The employer owes you nothing other than to meet the commitments it made to you.

I have dental insurance from my wife’s employer. I pay for it along with health insurance. It is not the best but it helps. I really don’t have many dental problems. I don’t think it is the employer’s responsibility to provide coverage. It’s nice when they do offer some kind of group coverage at a reduced rate. As many have mentioned in their post, most dentist will offer you a better deal when you don’t have insurance and pay up front.

I can’t believe this has made it this far and no one has mentioned HSA/High deductible plans.

Ryan, if you haven’t looked into them, do so now.

For the last 2 years my family has been on the HSA/High deductible. My HSA account right now has a balance of about $7,000 and my deductible is $2500. At the start of next year, I should be at 10 grand and increase it by 3-4 thousand a year. If that money doesn’t get used for healthcare, it becomes another retirement vehicle.

It may not be perfect for everyone, but it has fit my family like a glove.

Lisa, we all already know the only solution you will be satisfied with is government provided, taxpayer funded coverage. You can rest now.