If you are an employee do you know what your employer pays to provide you with insurance?

[LiberalFighter]

This poll is only for those employed. Not self-employed unless your spouse is employed by someone. Those with significant others should treat the responses as if they are spouses provided eligible to be covered under significant other's insurance. (I think there are some businesses that provide it)

Except for the last two the difference for each pair of responses is whether you know how much the employer pays to provide you or your spouse with insurance. You do or you don't.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

1. My employer partially pays but I don't know what they pay.

I assume the information is easily availble, I just have no motivation to find out.
Why do I care what they pay... it's not like that changes anything for me? :shrug:

[Tailormyst]

2. Actually it does effect you in a round about way

Every dime they spend on healthcare is one less they can pay to you. This is especially true for small business.

[frazzled]

8. That is the most important point, which most people don't recognize

If the average premium is $13,000 right now and, say, you are paying $200 a pay period for your share ($5,200 a year), your employer is paying $7,800 for your health insurance. (Most of us don't know the total cost of our policies, so I am using the only number I know). If premiums rise by 20% to the small business employer who is hiring you, that means the total cost of the policy will become $15,600--another $2,600 a year. Your employer has several choices if business is not great: ask you to pay the extra $100 per month, or pick it up but give you a smaller raise or no raise. Over time, year after year, this becomes a huge problem for both employers and a hidden suppression on wages to employees.

This is one of the reasons wages have become stagnant.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

15. True, but it still doesn't change anything.

My and my family need healthcare. Based on the out of pocket cost I pick the plan that best suits us. We get a choice of 2 or 3 plans in dental, vision, and health insurance and the paycheck deduction is known before we choose. Whether my employer contributes $1000 or $100000, the employee insurance is still WAY cheaper than declining coverage and shopping on my own.

So I don'y really know what my boss pays, but I have no control over that.
I don't feel need to mess with or worry about something I can't change.

[unhappycamper]

3. Retired from Verizon after 21 years and they pay a whopping 40%.

Of course that still leaves me to pay around $450 a month for my HMO care. Fortunately I'm going on Medicare this summer and expect my new premium to be under $150 a month for the very same care.

[ChiciB1]

13. My Husband Retired From GTE... Before Verizon... We Got A Better Deal!

We have Humana Medicare PPO and it's quite comprehensive... FOR NOW! IF he should pass away, I'm NOT SURE if I will be able to continue to have the coverage. AND he retired early because we took his mother in to care for her. She just passed away at 97 and lived with us for over 10 years.

But for now, we only pay the regular Medicare premium and have drug coverage with our policy. No referrals are needed, and a doctor co-pay of $5.00!! WE ARE EXTREMELY LUCKY! I need to STOP saying this because I think I'm going to jinx myself! A letter may come soon that will blow our coverage out of the water!! We are required to make certain doctor and lab choices and not everyone takes our insurance. But so far, so good!

[FSogol]

4. My employer pays 70% of the cost, but the preminums have been steadily increasing.

They used to pay 50%, but have increased their share to avoid overburdening the employees. Most of the employees don't see how the cost increases every year and upper management won't listen to my suggestion to show everyone the numbers.

[LiberalFighter]

5. Exactly what I have been saying. If everyone knew what the total cost of their insurance.

They would have a different perspective on the necessity for reform. Especially, those that don't want it.

[FSogol]

6. You are 100% correct. n/t

[stray cat]

10. and they might even realize that health care is expensive

[LiberalFighter]

18. Some people can never be pleased or rational.

I can remember when my drug co-pay was $3 whether brand or generic. Then $5 and later $10. We had people griping when it got increased and later higher for brand name. Personally, I thought it was appropriate as our wages went up and we had been at those rates for many years.

[Hello_Kitty]

19. I find it's people who support this "reform" who don't know what their coverage really costs

Middle and upper middle class people with great insurance through work or the government that costs nothing or very little. They have no clue how this mandate will affect people making $10 an hour.

[MercutioATC]

7. Federal Government employee...same here. 70% paid by employer.

[stray cat]

9. about 10,000 a year for an individual and 20,000 per family

I pay less than 50 per month

[POAS]

11. My employer has a $100,000 deductible

plan so essentially it is catastrophic coverage only.

Cost for a single person policy is $6900 and I pay roughly 20% of that premium. Only the union kept that percentage from going higher.

We also have a $2500 per person yearly deductible so my yearly cost could range over $3800 depending on my health needs.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

12. 50/50 Split with my employer (nt)

[kjackson227]

14. My employer pays for my (employee only) insurance which costs...

$600 which includes dental, and vision. But, if you have dependents, then you're not as lucky. Employees with family coverage pays $1,078 which also includes dental and vision. This Health Insurance Reform Bill will be a big help. These are per month costs.

[Arkansas Granny]

16. My employer provides no insurance. He has tried several times to find a group policy

but we have older workers and people with pre-existing conditions which would make our premiums so high that even if the company could afford to pay, the workers could not. Some of our employees have coverage through their spouses, but some of us do not.

[koski]

17. Every hour I work they pay $4.50 to my Union's insurance plan,

120 hours a month = coverage for my entire family. after 160 hours a month i get to bank hours for when i get laid off.