The Missing Link in Health Reform: A Guarantee of Good Coverage at Work

[marmar]

from Health Care for America Now!:



The NOW! Blog
The Missing Link in Health Reform: A Guarantee of Good Coverage at Work

Posted on January 11th, 2010 by Richard Kirsch, National Campaign Director


One huge issue that's received almost no attention in the debate on health care reform is what will happen to health coverage at work. There's been an enormous amount of attention paid to what will happen to the small percentage of Americans - less than 10% - who will get coverage through the new health insurance marketplaces called Exchanges. Will they have access to a public health insurance option? Will the government subsidies be enough to make health care affordable? Will insurance companies be able to raise rates because of health conditions, age, or gender?

This discussion - the one that's dominated the debate - has nothing to do with the majority of Americans, some 150 million, who will continue to get their health coverage at work. During the past decade, coverage at work has deteriorated with employees paying a bigger share of premiums for shrinking benefits. A study of employers released this past fall found that the trend is sure to continue in 2010. A key question is whether reform will deal with this growing problem for most working Americans.

What will happen depends on which reform bill you read. The House bill guarantees people will get good coverage they can afford. But the Senate bill not only fails to protect employees in large firms but also encourages employers in low-and-moderate wage businesses to offer barebones insurance plans and shift workers to part-time jobs. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://blog.healthcareforamericanow.org/2010/01/11/the-missing-link-in-health-reform-a-guarantee-of-good-coverage-at-work/

[Captain Hilts]

1. Employment status should have NOTHING to do with access to healthcare. It kills labor mobility and

is unfair.

[notadmblnd]

2. I figure employers will drop it entirely and put it all on the employees back

of course, there'll be no increase in compensation for the increased costs. I'm quite certain that the money for insurance which most employers currently claim is part of your compensation package, will be pocketed by them and the shareholders.

[abelenkpe]

3. k & r

[SoCalDem]

4. Even unions have lost the battle in negotiations

a few contracts ago:

copay went from $10 to $20

drug plan changed & went from $5 for ANY DRUG to a tiered system
(most of the meds my husband takes now have a $75 copay)

vision care went from one free exam & pair of glasses per year ...to a flat reimbursement of $40 for exam , $40 for frames & $40 for lenses (Cost us over $150 out-of-pocket and I used old frames for MY pair)

and the share for employees went up 20%..

I shudder to think what non-union plans must be like

[TheKentuckian]

5. You'll find out. The Max Tax will squeeze your benefits into pretty much junk

70% value with hight out of pockets sound good? That's what we're all going to have in time. Well, except the wealthy they'll continue to get whatever they like while the peasent class will be too broke to even access what they pay half a house note for.

[marmar]

6. Yep.....Our plan, administered by a company with a name that begins and ends in "A"......

..... gets altered every six months, and never for the better.