Why Baby Boomers Don't Understand Occupy Wall Street

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

So those who pay millions of dollars every year to a corrupt system are better off?

Not sure I understand. I pay for health care coverage to make sure that my neighbor doesn't get stuck with my medical bills should they exceed my ability to pay out of pocket. I take care of my family rather than expect others to do that for me. The freeloaders are the issue. They stick every consumer of medical services and the taxpayer with billions of dollars worth of unpaid medical bills each and every year. How do you justify that? Morally?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

An employer doesn't pay for your healthcare. You earn that healthcare coverage. It's part of your compensation.

Semantics. They are both business expenses.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Er... no. If you get sick, you'll get a $100,000 bill. Since you can't pay it,

it gets written off as a loss by the hospital and becomes my problem.

Yep. That's what happens.

[mawilson 2,133]

The government should not pay for my healthcare. An employer should not pay for my healthcare. I should pay for my healthcare.

But you can't. You don't have enough money to pay for it yourself. Very few people do.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Semantics. They are both business expenses.

It's not semantics at all. I work and receive compensation for that work. Part of that compensation is a discounted premium on health care coverage.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It's not semantics at all. I work and receive compensation for that work. Part of that compensation is a discounted premium on health care coverage.

Do you declare it as income?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

But you can't. You don't have enough money to pay for it yourself. Very few people do.

Funny thing is that those few people that can comfortably claim to be able to pay for their own medical care usually have health care coverage.

Do you declare it as income?

Don't need to because it's tax exempt. It's part of my compensation package valuation, though.

[mawilson 2,133]

It'd be interesting to poll the people that had universal coverage and now live in the US....Which system works better? Which system is more affordable?

I like the US system. It's also more affordable (for me personally), since my tax burden would have been a lot higher in the UK.

[slim 1,530]

Do you have health insurance?

Nope.

That is true. If health insurance would be mandatory then the playing field would be level and you can make an argument that private employers might be better at keeping insurance premiums low - it's in their best interest. That not being the case, we're in a rather shitty situation where people are tied to their employers for the sake of the health care insurance coverage they provide.

Exactly. What gets me though is I would rather have that extra money every month. For someone like me (who never goes to the doctor) the company could save money on my healthcare and pay me more.

I can figure out how to pay the doctor on my own.

An employer doesn't pay for your healthcare. You earn that healthcare coverage. It's part of your compensation.

Correct also. Which is why I hate insurance. It's a compensatory benefit that I have to pay for which results in less pay for me.

I can only imagine what would happen if employers held a meeting. "OK.. this year we're not offering insurance.... but you're getting a $5/hr. raise." I bet everyone would riot in the streets!

Well, prevention is better than cure.

Also, I'm not taking the chance of getting into a car accident, catching a virus, etc.

I know far too many healthy-eating, non-smoking people who exercise regularly be diagnosed with cancer/other life-threatening conditions these past few years.

We did live without insurance for 10 months, but it was a pretty hairy time. We were also in two car accidents during that time. Both were so minor that they resulted in zero injuries - but it did go to show you can never be too sure.

Yes - and I really could not afford to pay for it myself, especially since my income would be drastically decreased.

To be fair I haven't looked into the cost of individual plans here. I know costs can vary by state and availability. I recall Kaiser as being relatively inexpensive, but our current company doesn't offer Kaiser so I'm going off old information.

I'm amazed by how tied you are to your insurance. Do you not have something better to spend that money on?

Have you not thought about how much that money really is?

But you can't. You don't have enough money to pay for it yourself. Very few people do.

I'm doing it right now.

[mawilson 2,133]

I'm doing it right now.

Nope. What you're doing is taking chances with my money, not yours.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

I'm amazed by how tied you are to your insurance. Do you not have something better to spend that money on?

Have you not thought about how much that money really is?

It's $160 cost to me a month. That's $1,920 a year. My deductible is $4,000 but my company pays $2,875 into my HSA every year (so in a way, if I don't see the doctor at all in a year I actually gain money, since HSA contributions roll over), so the most I am out of pocket is $1,125.

$1,920 + $1,125 = $3,045; for 100% coverage I think that's a pretty good price to be paying, myself.

[mawilson 2,133]

$1,920 + $1,125 = $3,045; for 100% coverage I think that's a pretty good price to be paying, myself.

Especially considering that you get to keep the $2,875 every year (tax-free) if you don't see the doctor at all.

[slim 1,530]

Nope. What you're doing is taking chances with my money, not yours.

Why would you pay for my healthcare?

$3,045; for 100% coverage I think that's a pretty good price to be paying, myself.

I pay $0. I think that's way better.

Especially considering that you get to keep the $2,875 every year (tax-free) if you don't see the doctor at all.

I keep 100% of my healthcare money if I don't see the doctor at all.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Why would you pay for my healthcare?

I pay $0. I think that's way better.

I keep 100% of my healthcare money if I don't see the doctor at all.

Lets say next year your hit by a large truck or something. Your bills come back in and they are 240,000. You are not going to be able to negotiate that large a fee. You will probably have to file for bankruptcy and then the hospital has to take your 240,000 and increase their fees to compensate. This then causes insurance rates to increase which means MaWilson is now paying slightly more to cover that bill.

Edited October 21, 2011 by Sousuke

[slim 1,530]

Lets say next year your hit by a large truck

Truck driver is responsible, not me.