"45 million Uninsured in America"

[HAL 9000 96]

Oh the irony of wanting to reduce benefits at underpaid positions. Priceless.

[PlatyPius 5]

There may be nearly 45 million without insurance. However, the real question is, who are these 45 million. The typical pro-ObamaCare story is to tell some story about some guy who was working hard, lost his job and then the fates conspired against him in a completely unfair way to deny him coverage while his disabled wife died of cancer. Or something like that.

Thing is, seniors are covered, children are covered. People with jobs are covered. Someone explain to me what these 45 million uninsured people look like demographically, instead of anecdotally.

How are people with jobs covered? I've always had a job, but rarely had health insurance.

I'm the manager of a bicycle shop. I don't make great money, but I don't make poverty-level wages either. I don't have health insurance. So there's one out of 45 million.

Most auto mechanics who don't work for a dealership don't have (work-provided) health insurance. Most bike shop employees don't have health insurance. Most contract employees (I.T. etc) don't have health insurance. Ad Infinitum.

[Marilyn. 340]

According to the Kaiser Foundation, the percentage of large employers offering health insurance held steady at more than 98 percent between 1999 and 2008. Smaller employers, in contrast, saw a decline from 65 to 59 percent between 1999 and 2007, although this number increased to 62 percent in 2008. Employers with fewer than 10 employers were most likely to drop health insurance. The percentage of these employers offering coverage fell from 56 to 49 percent between 1999 and 2008.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5134674_percenta...-insurance.html

so if I am reading that right only about half of the small business offer health insurance

[_Simpson_ 250]

I have worked for two small companies and they offered it as a incentive. Maybe not all but I would guess that a good majority do it if your working a job that not just anyone could do.

[Dan J 277]

According to the Kaiser Foundation, the percentage of large employers offering health insurance held steady at more than 98 percent between 1999 and 2008. Smaller employers, in contrast, saw a decline from 65 to 59 percent between 1999 and 2007, although this number increased to 62 percent in 2008. Employers with fewer than 10 employers were most likely to drop health insurance. The percentage of these employers offering coverage fell from 56 to 49 percent between 1999 and 2008.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5134674_percenta...-insurance.html

so if I am reading that right only about half of the small business offer health insurance

Companies like Walmart do offer insurance, but they try to hire people who wont use it. That and, when your making little more than minimum wage, can you really afford a $3k deductible?

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I guess the question is whether there are enough jobs in the country that "not everyone could do".

"Anyone" can do retail, customer or food service - but there is definitely an art to doing it well.

"Anyone" can collect trash or deliver mail.

Whether anyone can do a particular job, doesn't alter the fact that everyone needs healthcare.

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Theres healthcare everywhere! GO FVCKIN BUY SOME!

[_Simpson_ 250]

If you have a real job for the most part yes.

Go get a clue.

Good grief, of course its a real job, do you seriously not get the point I was making? Are you hoping your kids grows up to flip burgers? People that have a skill to offer the business gives the business incentive to give back.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

What would you define as a real job vs. a non-real job?

Flipping Burgers vs Skilled trade

Why should McDonalds be offering health insurance?

I worked in grocery retail for many years before finally going back and finishing college. I was under the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW Local 99) and had excellent medical insurance through BC/BS.

Low-skilled jobs can and do provide many people with a way of life -( I think of one of the stockers I worked with - Hank, who had a nice house with a pool) if there is support for it...and customers still could afford groceries. So it's a matter of whether you are willing to support such people or be elitist and tell them that if they want a real job, they need to go and get some real skills. They are the backbone of America - the real Joe plumbers - working hard for the money and they deserve medical insurance just as much as an elitist such as yourself.

Edited September 21, 2009 by Col. 'Bat' Guano

[Marilyn. 340]

I have worked for two small companies and they offered it as a incentive. Maybe not all but I would guess that a good majority do it if your working a job that not just anyone could do.

well, I didn't say no small business offered insurance.. what I said was that only about half of the small business offer insurance..

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Theres healthcare everywhere! GO FVCKIN BUY SOME!

How much does a new liver run to these days?

[_Simpson_ 250]

I guess the question is whether there are enough jobs in the country that "not everyone could do".

"Anyone" can do retail, customer or food service - but there is definitely an art to doing it well.

"Anyone" can collect trash or deliver mail.

Whether anyone can do a particular job, doesn't alter the fact that everyone needs healthcare.

It should be up to the business plain and simple. They shouldn't be forced to offer benefits.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I guess the question is whether there are enough jobs in the country that "not everyone could do".

"Anyone" can do retail, customer or food service - but there is definitely an art to doing it well.

"Anyone" can collect trash or deliver mail.

Whether anyone can do a particular job, doesn't alter the fact that everyone needs healthcare.

It should be up to the business plain and simple. They shouldn't be forced to offer benefits.

Fine, then we should have a public option for basic care that individuals can supplement with private insurance.

[HAL 9000 96]

But that would be the guvmint tellin us what to do.

[_Simpson_ 250]

I have worked for two small companies and they offered it as a incentive. Maybe not all but I would guess that a good majority do it if your working a job that not just anyone could do.

well, I didn't say no small business offered insurance.. what I said was that only about half of the small business offer insurance..

Well I would agree with it put that way but I was addressing skilled jobs vs flipping burgers. So to say that most jobs that require a degree most likely offer health benefits.