Medical Insurance - the Next Benefit to Go

Why do you feel that you are entitled to health insurance provided by your employer?

One of the problems of 20th century corporations is that they created a culture
of entitlement.

 

Perhaps because any worthwhile employer offers health insurance to their employees as a benefit.

 

Benefit or entitlement?

Maybe it would be better to pay people more and let them go get their own insurance.

 

Of course, only a complete imbecile believes employers are going to take the money saved by eliminating health coverage and apply it to salaries.

Let me give you a hint about the real world: They're taking that money and sticking it in their fuckin' pockets.

 

But again explain to me why employees feel that they are entitled to paid
health insurance?

 

It's a benefit of working. Sure, we could all make more money. HA! Then invest in our own 401K and get our own insurance. But as Doc said, we're all paying more in premiums and still paying more out of our pockets too. While the bigwigs are raking in the dough. I'd be just fine if I got a decent raise and could shop around for cheaper decent insurance (if such a thing existed).
And don't give me this entitlements/bootstraps bullshit. I've been busting my ass my entire life and am not much better off now than I was when I started this job 18 years ago. Meanwhile, the rich get richer. Oh, and BTW, I haven't had a raise in five years, at least. In fact, I've taken fairly significant pay cuts. But I guess we should just be happy to have jobs. And I guess I should be working harder to improve myself. :

 

Oh, and you want to know how much it cost my sister (and her insurance) to take a helicopter ride about 2 miles (to avoid traffic) when she had a fairly serious medical event? Oh, only about 15 grand.

 

Imagine how much less your salary would have been at the grocery store if there hadn't been a union.

And those job protection issues at your county job aren't really that little, when you think about it. It's a lot better than an employer just being able to hand you a cardboard box.

 

Benefit.

Just like 401k match plans, just like stock purchase plans, just like vision, dental and long term disability plans. Just like retirement plans, and just like vacations, holidays, paid time off and sick days. Health insurance is a benefit not an entitlement intended to lure the better candidates to jobs.

I don't feel entitled. But when I took this job originally, the health insurance plan was one of the major factors why I left my previous employer. Some company benefits actually do bring in better applicants.

 

The way I see it, this is the point of benefits. Most of this stuff was enacted to help employers attract quality candidates. Now, everyone (except the execs) is just happy to have a job, so most places' benefits are fading quickly.

 

Same reason they feel entitled to get paid money.

 

Providing quality health insurance for a family of 4 will cost a company around $1400 a month or
$16,800 a year.

Would you rather work for a company that provided you with health insurance or one that paid you an additional $16,800 a year and told you to find insurance that met your needs on the
open market?