It seems to be a great time to be a nurse right now. All of the opportunities presented seem endless!
But why does it seem like employers do not want to offer decent health insurance AND decent pay?
I just left a job that basically had no insurance. There was a $9,000 annual deductible that had to be paid before insurance even kicked in. The monthly premium for a single mom with kids was $200. I stayed at the job for 7 months. Now, I started a new job. I was on orientation yesterday and the monthly premium for a mom with children for Aetna HMO 40 Choice plan is $975 and $105 for dental. Since I will get paid every two weeks, that is $500 every paycheck.
Meanwhile, my sister in IT pays $200 a month for PPO, and that is as a single parent with children.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
On 3/4/2022 at 6:51 AM, Jedrnurse said:
Many Medicare recipients wouldn't support universal health care but also never saw a life-extending treatment that they didn't feel entitled to (as long as the taxpayers are footing the bill.)
In the current medicare system, it maxes out at paying 190 days for inpatient acute mental health care in a persons life time.
A person with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder may need an extended hospital stay and 6 months worth of inpatient mental health treatment over a life time is fairly piss poor.
'A measure of a societys morality is how it treats its most vulnerable' (source unknown). We have an obligation to support those who are fully unable to participate in the free markey economy
In the current medicare system, it maxes out at paying 190 days for inpatient acute mental health care in a persons life time.
A person with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder may need an extended hospital stay and 6 months worth of inpatient mental health treatment over a life time is fairly piss poor.
'A measure of a societys morality is how it treats its most vulnerable' (source unknown). We have an obligation to support those who are fully unable to participate in the free markey economy
The USA is in moral decline as evidenced by the elevation of Trump, the persistent election fraud lie that threatens our republic and the deep seeded belief that not every American deserves access to preventative health care.
Also adding insult to injury... only your employer is "in network" and you're forced to use them for healthcare. This means our coworkers have access to our charts when we come in for health care.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
3 hours ago, 2BS Nurse said:
Also adding insult to injury... only your employer is "in network" and you're forced to use them for healthcare. This means our coworkers have access to our charts when we come in for health care.
That is just completely wrong. I work with some great people would I want them having access to my personal information. Hell no
Example, recently having an acute mental health crisis. The only acute ward around is the one that I worked in for 18 months. The doctor bless her said that should I need hospitalisation I would either go to Timaru or the West coast.
don't get me wrong, our system is far from perfect. I am secure in the knowledge that should I get sick or have an accident I won't end up with a bill for medical care in the hundreds of thousands.
4 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:
The USA is in moral decline as evidenced by the elevation of Trump, the persistent election fraud lie that threatens our republic and the deep seeded belief that not every American deserves access to preventative health care.
The recent/current pandemic also showed peoples true colours. The amount of people who were willing to let the elderly, already sick, multiple medical morbidities or living a life that deviated from the norm was truly shocking
That is just completely wrong. I work with some great people would I want them having access to my personal information. Hell no
Example, recently having an acute mental health crisis. The only acute ward around is the one that I worked in for 18 months. The doctor bless her said that should I need hospitalisation I would either go to Timaru or the West coast.
don't get me wrong, our system is far from perfect. I am secure in the knowledge that should I get sick or have an accident I won't end up with a bill for medical care in the hundreds of thousands.
The recent/current pandemic also showed peoples true colours. The amount of people who were willing to let the elderly, already sick, multiple medical morbidities or living a life that deviated from the norm was truly shocking
That was a real eye opener. Historically, Americans have come together against common threats...not so much today. As you are well aware, I believe this is reflective of the very broad influence of foreign propaganda in our media. That propaganda seeks division and animosity within the USA, little more. The covid denial and vaccine nonsense was amplified and bloated with intentional misinformation. Distrust in American elections and institutions is fostered and encouraged by the influence of foreign propaganda and influence in social media.
It's disheartening to realize that such a large percentage of the population is that unconcerned with the general health of the nation.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
2 hours ago, toomuchbaloney said:
That was a real eye opener. Historically, Americans have come together against common threats...not so much today. As you are well aware, I believe this is reflective of the very broad influence of foreign propaganda in our media.
I don't think this is just an American thing. There were plenty of kiwis willing to sacrifice their most vulnerable down the river to covid
Quote
That propaganda seeks division and animosity within the USA, little more. The covid denial and vaccine nonsense was amplified and bloated with intentional misinformation. Distrust in American elections and institutions is fostered and encouraged by the influence of foreign propaganda and influence in social media.
It's disheartening to realize that such a large percentage of the population is that unconcerned with the general health of the nation.
Its something I see alot within mainstream christianity more than an something exclusive to any one country. It got so bad I put a very dear friend who I've known since high school onto snooze for a month. We've recently had a group of them occupying parliament and the cognitive dissonance was profound. "We want freedom from mask mandates and vaccine mandates", yet there were increasing numbers of people harassing teenagers and young children trying to make them take their masks off.
It's not just health benefits but benefits in general. You used to get rewarded with a pension for your loyalty. Now those are garbage too along with the health benefits.
Are you saying my problem is having children and not the cost of health insurance?
Some of us who chose to remain child free did so for a multitude of reasons but cost is an issue. I had a taste of real poverty for the years I spent getting my BSN and I was just done with being poor and never wanted that kind of stress again. So being voluntarily childfree means that I have no understanding of how insurance for people with kids work. Just as a curiosity; are you pro-rated for the number of kids you have? Kids insurance should be cheap since they usually incur should low health costs. $500 per paycheck is asking too much for an employee but for someone who had a lot of kids, it might be an actuarial derived figure and it's hard to argue with math. But for a healthy young adult with 1 or 2 kids, that seems out of bounds to me.
Well by using that logic one would have to also consider Medicaid, Blue Cross, Kaiser, Tricare and every other private or Fed/state Insurance to be Universal healthcare also. So when we have so many different entities we do not have universal healthcare. If we just talk about Medicare alone, no it is not universal healthcare. It is not available to anyone/everyone. So far it is only available to those who have worked long enough and earned enough credits (like people on this thread who work, pay taxes, high medical premiums now and will be on Medicare someday) and those with certain disabilities. And, those who are on Medicare still pay premiums, deductibles and copays.
A physician wouldn't have to hire an office with multiple people who are just there to get the insurance bills paid. Doctors love Medicare as a business model. No multiple phone calls to get a test pre authorized for individual patients. Less of the middle layer of the industry to suck money from the providers and from the patients. But even for a healthy person like m on Medicare, I have to fend for the taxpayer occasionally:) because an orthopod wants an X ray when you walk into the door for a soft tissue issues and I have to tell the front desk I won't have an X ray. Even my yearly physical is a waste of money. But at least I'm cheaper to care for on Medicare than I was when I had good health policy and that is the point of a universal system.
Some of us who chose to remain child free did so for a multitude of reasons but cost is an issue. I had a taste of real poverty for the years I spent getting my BSN and I was just done with being poor and never wanted that kind of stress again. So being voluntarily childfree means that I have no understanding of how insurance for people with kids work. Just as a curiosity; are you pro-rated for the number of kids you have? Kids insurance should be cheap since they usually incur should low health costs. $500 per paycheck is asking too much for an employee but for someone who had a lot of kids, it might be an actuarial derived figure and it's hard to argue with math. But for a healthy young adult with 1 or 2 kids, that seems out of bounds to me.
No you are not pro rated for the number of kids you have. It’s the same whether two or eight. I will say with this plan an employee plus one child is slightly less than an employee plus children
Tenebrae, BSN, RN
2,021 Posts
In the current medicare system, it maxes out at paying 190 days for inpatient acute mental health care in a persons life time.
A person with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder may need an extended hospital stay and 6 months worth of inpatient mental health treatment over a life time is fairly piss poor.
'A measure of a societys morality is how it treats its most vulnerable' (source unknown). We have an obligation to support those who are fully unable to participate in the free markey economy