These two things have devastated our culture and we have descended into madness.

[wnylib]

71. Haven't the vaguest idea who or what BCBS is or was.

I know that in the 1970s, the company where I worked had health insurance coverage for all empoyees, paid by the company. No premiums to pay. Office visits and simple test, like bloodwork and X Rays were covered with no co pays. 80% of hospitalization and surgery costs were covered.

We had unlimited sick days based on employee honor system not to abuse it. 2 weeks vacation the first year, taken at once or split up, one week at a time or one or a few days at a time. Holiday time off, paid, for New Year's Eve and New Year's day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Most people took the day after Thanksgiving off as a vacation day.

It was not a union company, either. Many companies competed for employees then because unions had driven benefits up in general.

But, there were other, smaller employers and lower paying jobs that did not offer those kinds of benefits at all, especially not the health coverage.

I left that job when I got married and moved away for my husband's job. I worked part time and temporary for a while because his job required us to move a couple more times. When I got back into full time regular work, I never again had the kinds of benefits as at the job that I left when I got married.