Does your job pay 100% for your health insurance?

[GAN]

Had anyone ever been hired before with that amount of kids? I guess I'm thinking the overall health of employees. Adults tend to have problems that are lifestyle driven and genetics too. But I'm thinking like COPD from smoking for example, or weight-related issues, or cancer diagnosis (which to be fair also happens in kids). Also age related issues (like my mom had double total knee replacement surgery and went on short term disability each surgery plus the PT, meds, etc)

I would think expenses-wise you're looking at more preventative care and smaller doctors visits for kids but more after care and likely larger costs doctors for adults.

All pure thinking out loud I've just wondered if people were making the assumption long term it would cost the company more just by the virtue of having that many to cover under a plan. Wonder if the actuaries have done all that legwork?

I had never come across anyone with that many children before, and honestly never really considered it. The issue was more the way our health plan was set up to handle "extra" children rather than the type and amount of care expected ...it wouldn't have worked in my favor. It's definitely a combination of actuarial figuring and that of the owner and/or CEO(we're a pretty large privately held company). Bottom line is you have to look at the entire compensation package(not just salary) -if the numbers don't work, they don't work. Not necessarily a case of "discrimination" like it could be. Like many States, we're an "at will" state so an employee can quit or be fired for almost any reason -not sure where a case like this could have been might fall.

 

[Nora03]

Pharmacare in Manitoba isn’t just for low income people. It’s for everyone. However there is a deductible based on your income. They send us a letter annually telling us what our deductible is. I don’t think we’ve ever reached it as it’s fairly high. I think for us it was $3500 or $4,000 last year. However we have insurance through DHs former employer, which they continued upon retirement. It’s an amazing valuable perk. Covers 90% prescriptions, 100% on most dental, etc, etc. Since he retired the company did discontinue that benefit for retirees, but it continued for those of us who had it As seniors it is very important to us as we’re both on lots of prescription medications. We appreciate our health care system, especially since our granddaughter had a kidney transplant, and couldn’t imagine what expense that would have been. She has an amazing medical team and care. Her parents both have insurance plans through their employers which covers her medications.

 

[prairie_girl]

Pharmacy (or doctor?) applied for me when I went on this new uncovered drug and our letter indicated $2500 deductible. That’s all I know.
We would never pay (hopefully!) $2500 a year out of pocket with my benefits so Pharmacare won’t help me at all. Maybe once I’m a senior.

if you are meeting your deductible in a few months even with a work plan coverage you must have some expensive meds!

Our benefits cover 80% of prescriptions but the full amount is applied to our deductible. $2500 is a high deductible, though.

Between the two of us, we have 10 daily meds and some are pricy. It was actually a shock when we hit our deductible so quickly this year. But, it takes a lot to keep our creaky bodies going lol

 

[CdnCarrie]

Our benefits cover 80% of prescriptions but the full amount is applied to our deductible. $2500 is a high deductible, though.

Between the two of us, we have 10 daily meds and some are pricy. It was actually a shock when we hit our deductible so quickly this year. But, it takes a lot to keep our creaky bodies going lol

So they apply the full 100% towards the deductible even though the private plan is reimbursing you 80%?
I thought the pharmacare deductible would only count the out of pocket amount?

we have 6 prescriptions in the house but 5 are pretty cheap

 

[mrodgers]

I am saying I don't think the employer should be involved in health insurance in any way.

Everyone should be buying their own insurance.

Tying insurance to employment was a horrible decision made 80 or so years ago.

Little too late for that now. Don't you think it would be a bit difficult for someone to pay $1200 for insurance on a $2000 income?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I had never come across anyone with that many children before, and honestly never really considered it. The issue was more the way our health plan was set up to handle "extra" children rather than the type and amount of care expected ...it wouldn't have worked in my favor. It's definitely a combination of actuarial figuring and that of the owner and/or CEO(we're a pretty large privately held company). Bottom line is you have to look at the entire compensation package(not just salary) -if the numbers don't work, they don't work. Not necessarily a case of "discrimination" like it could be. Like many States, we're an "at will" state so an employee can quit or be fired for almost any reason -not sure where a case like this could have been might fall.

Thanks for explaining.

I'd say they probably had a good chance at getting unemployment (or at least their case being heard), in this hypothetical scenario they were let go because legally they can be let go but were they let go for good cause or for an arbitrary reason. I'm not sure it would have looked favorably upon the company if the DOL saw they were letting go because of the number of kids and just that.

The cost to the company could then be reputation, potentially looked upon more closely by the DOL, and increase in their unemployment insurance costs.

It's an interesting topic that I doubt many of us really considered. I'm like the other poster in that I get it but at the same time it's like a tsk tsk moment ya know? To know that you were blocked employment because of the number of your children.

 

[Colleen27]

My employer pays nearly 100% of my mine, but my family coverage is about 23% of our income and because of the ACA family glitch, we don't qualify for any marketplace subsidies.

Same here on both counts.

I wish insurance wasn’t tied to your employer or if we had something similar to Canada or Europe. It would make retiring early much easier.

... or starting a business, or changing jobs to grow professionally, or going back to school, or working part time, or being part of the "gig economy". People don't seem to realize how big a drag on economic growth and innovation our system of employer-subsidized health insurance really is.

 

[bcla]

I had never come across anyone with that many children before, and honestly never really considered it. The issue was more the way our health plan was set up to handle "extra" children rather than the type and amount of care expected ...it wouldn't have worked in my favor. It's definitely a combination of actuarial figuring and that of the owner and/or CEO(we're a pretty large privately held company). Bottom line is you have to look at the entire compensation package(not just salary) -if the numbers don't work, they don't work. Not necessarily a case of "discrimination" like it could be. Like many States, we're an "at will" state so an employee can quit or be fired for almost any reason -not sure where a case like this could have been might fall.

At will wouldn’t necessarily override the laws that protect prospective employees based on familial status.

https://www.eeoc.gov/pre-employment-inquiries-and-marital-status-or-number-children

I’ve had HR tell me that they really don’t want to know anyone’s family history during interviews and counsel managers to never do anything to probe familial status.

 

[kdonnel]

Little too late for that now. Don't you think it would be a bit difficult for someone to pay $1200 for insurance on a $2000 income?

Hence the time machine I mentioned.

Or the employer just increases the salary the subsidy amount they are currently paying.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

They don't pay all of it, but almost all of it.

 

[RedAngie]

We had 100% of the premiums paid when on exH’s plan. After our divorce, the kids stayed on his plan. Older DD until she got her own plan from work; younger DD until age 26 because she didn’t finish college until 25 then couldn’t find a decent job for another year.

Our divorce settlement covered me for another year. Afterwards I had to pay about $150 per month for coverage from my employer. I married DH partly because his insurance would cover me at no additional cost. But only if married.

Then, wouldn’t you know it, the following year they started covering domestic partners.

Now that he’s pretty much retired and an independent contractor, we’re on insurance from my company and pay about $450 per month in premiums.

 

[White Cat]

No it isn't, and you of all people should understand that. I'm confused as to how you qualify anyway since you are neither a permanent resident (I don't think) or a citizen. You've never exactly mentioned your immigration status so I assume you enter and leave simply as a visitor. That would NOT entitle you to health care in any part of Canada.
ETA: Marrying a Canadian does NOT confer any immigration status here.

I am a permanent resident of Canada and have an Ontario health card. Didn’t think my status would be your concern. I could txt you the pics of them if you would like LOL.

 

[smilie]

My company pays 80% of our premium.

 

[shoney]

My husband is in a union and premium is covered 100%. …through the contributions of working members.

deductible is $20 for any doctor, $35 for ER visit and $250 for any hospital stay.

prescriptions are capped so never more than $20 for 30 day and $40 for $90 day, but many are less than that.

 

[GreatLakes]

They don't but they offer a great plan with a lot of benefits for the cost. I can add my wife without penalty even though she is eligible for insurance through her employer, we have a wide range of plans so we can choose what is needed, we have wellness benefits that reward us with money or reduced premiums (up to 40% reduction), and our dental and vision is really good. I just went to my dentist and they said it was one of the best they'd ever seen.

Each renewal staff is told exactly how much the company will cover so it is transparent (it is usually between 70% and 80%) and we are given a yaerly total cost of compensation report that shows exactly what our compensation is. I'm surprised most companies don't do this since a lot of employees, especially younger employees, just see their salary/hourly wage and think that is what they earn. Once you add in the employer side of healthcare, their 401K match, profit sharing and/or bonus it can be much higher. That is important if you are job hunting because a 10% bump in salary could break even just based on the healthcare plan and 401K match.

My wife works for a very large and successful company, many times larger than mine, and comparatively her plan is terrible. It would be more than double the cost for less benefits so I really can't complain.

 

[White Cat]

Just stop.

https://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=7938095&page=1

 

[ronandannette]

I am a permanent resident of Canada and have an Ontario health card. Didn’t think my status would be your concern. I could txt you the pics of them if you would like LOL.

Yes please...let’s see it. JK The issue of immigration status is in relation to whether or not one is entitled to provincial health care. Simply trying to clarify the issue that one cannot simply wander across the border and partake, as you implied when you said “not many Americans come to Canada for health care”.

 

[Skippy918]

Same here on both counts.



... or starting a business, or changing jobs to grow professionally, or going back to school, or working part time, or being part of the "gig economy". People don't seem to realize how big a drag on economic growth and innovation our system of employer-subsidized health insurance really is.

Yup. That too. My dh owns a business and he’s on my insurance plan. Having my steady paycheck also enabled him to take a risk and start a business.

 

[longboard55]

Self employed so I guess you could say I pay 100%

 

[loves to dive]

When we had more employees then just me, we paid 75% of the employees coverage and 50% of family. Now there is just the boss and me and I'm part time so no insurance at all. My hubby starts a new job in Jan. and he will have 100% covered.