Educate me - opinions on Socialized Health Care...???

[cowgirlnerd]

My oldest son works 35 hours a week; goes to college; and makes $7.50 per hour.  He is trying to save money to pay for books, gas to go to work, car insurance, etc., and told me the other day that his employer is going to let the part-time people get health insurance.  It will be $85 per week for single coverage.  That would leave him with about $100 and he doesn't think he can afford it.  I have explained the cost for actually getting sick....he just can't afford it.  (breaks my heart).

He is adamant (you guys think that I am a liberal - whoah boy!), that the healthcare system in the state that it is is groteseque and insist that socialized health care is the only humane method for everyone to be able to have insurance.  

Educate me....   I see where he's coming from, but I have heard horror stories about it and want to be able to help him understand and CONVINCE him that he can and should have insurance...(I offered to pay 1/2 and he refused on "priniciple"....

[margypops]

Me Thinks  this deserves a good old fashioned ....bump  

[ILADVOCATE]

Well there was a Supreme Court decision about that specific issue, that is when a person with a disability cannot perform the essential function of one job but is able to work should the company be required to assign them another job in the same workplace. The Supreme Court sided against that one as well as other restrictions on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Interestingly enough there was a law signed into effect that reversed some of the denials the Supreme Court had made as regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act and it was signed into effect by George Bush when he was president (partially because it was put into law with other legislation as regarding the economy and partially because his father the first George Bush had signed the ADA to begin with). That would not necessarily support what happened at your workplace nor would I myself agree with it. It just shows that legislation as regarding the rights of people with disabilities is not really a divisive issue confined to one political mindset.

[teko]

I used to handle workers comp claims in Ohio. Actually, the reason a job was created for him was twofold. It benefits the employer rather than take the person off work and draw a check from the state. They want to get a person to settle with them because if there is no settlement and the claim has been allowed, then the workers comp has to pay for life long medical care for that injury as well as any resulting from having that injury including resulting depression from a person being taken out of the workplace. If the worker was smart, he would not have settled. He sort of bit off his nose to spite his face. Now if he ever loses his job and insurance and the old injury flares, he is just out a luck. They are off the hook. By the worker staying on the job, it does not raise the rates of the employer also. At least that is the way it works in Ohio. And I agree, with you when you say it is simply a business. Your friend just got bested and dont know it. Works the same way pretty much with all insurance, beit car, etc. lol

[cowgirlnerd]

I checked into the keeping him on my insurance but unfortunately, my policy at work doesn't allow it.  HIS FATHER on the other hand, could have, but wouldn't do it.  (HE ate a second bowl of stupid - that's going to be my new saying, twehner5!)  

Teko, I handle the workman's comp at work for the employees and one of my employees got hurt on the job a year ago - do you know that we have had to MAKE a position for him  (ok, we didn't have to but it was the right thing to do) because even though he can't use his arm that was crushed in a fall - they released him with restrictions....can't climb or lift over 100 pounds.    OK, he installs track onto stages and has to be in lifts, climbs ladders and lifts steel....so HOW can you be released to do your job when you restrict what the entire job does.  THEN, they offered him a settlement of $6,000 and medical care for that specific injury.  We pay all of this money into the fund thinking that our employees are going to be taken care of and they aren't.  Just slapping a band aid on it and send them on their way.   Ok, that was a rant, but I agree - it's VERY much a business, and not monitored and healthcare is just out of control, IMO.

Gee Wiz!

[teko]

ikn, I keep hearing all the negatives. Im still waiting for solutions to be offered. So far I have heard none.  Obviously no one has any, just a lot of complaints. As I said before, to us that cannot get health insurance for whatever reason? Something is better than nothing, cause to us, we already have a death sentence! I have worked many years in the medical field, from handling the workmens comp for a group of orthopedics, working in the nursing homes, billing, coding, etc.  We have gotten to where healthcare is a business, very expensive, very inadequate and you already have insurance companies telling you what you can and can not do and when you can do it. So I personally do not see what we got to lose except high cost.

[Barb135]

You wrote: "If we get the waste out of what we already have, it will pretty much pay for a new health plan."

If we could the waste out of what we already have, we wouldn't NEED a new health plan.....................................................