Ironic:No Healthcare for Nsg Homes

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

This is unbelievable: Nursing Homes are seeking exemption that will allow them to NOT provide health insurance to their very own employees!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/16/us/16nursing.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.

The nursing home first referenced, asked for a 25 dollar a month contribution, which I think is more than fair. In this particular instance, I don't see a fault with the nursing home, but the employee. Peace!

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

$25 a month is a whole lot less than most people pay!

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

Chin Up...please remember that these are people who are earning minimum wage or $10 an hour.

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Specializes in CMSRN.

$25 a month is still very good for someone earning $10 an hour.

But at that rate most people could barely pay basic bills.

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What I wouldn't give to pay just $25/month for health insurance. I don't know anybody who pays that little. I agree in this instance I think the fault lies with the employees not the NH, afterall the NH is covering over 95%of the cost.

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Specializes in acute care and geriatric.

I am sure that if they could afford the $25 a month they would, as you point out, they could barely pay basic bills. Remember these are people who are staying out of unemployment by taking jobs that few others want. Shouldnt that be rewarded and encouraged?

Please excuse me for not crying for management who apparently also cant afford the $25 per employee.

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Specializes in Emergency, Telemetry, Transplant.

First of all, when I made $10 an hour, I would have been more than happy $25 per month for insurance.

Here is the problem with the "they can hardly afford basic bills" argument: so $10/hr is not enough to pay basic bills. What about $12/hr? $15/hr? This would mean that rates have to increase. If you are going to increase it for $10/hr employees, then you must to it for $25/hr employees. And if you do it in the nursing home, then you have to do it everywhere. Well, now you have created inflation, so the new $15/hr rate is equivalent to (or worse than) the old $10/hr salary. Unfortunaly, basic economics show us the danger in this situation.

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Specializes in done LTC and Hospital and Home Health..

Twenty Five dollars a month is cheap! I would much rather have to pay that then 100's or 1000's of dollars to a hospital or doctor for not being insured, having to pay out of pocket... I think they are lucky to only have to pay that little whether making 8.00 an hour or 20.00 an hour it is affordable vs. not having and paying out of pocket.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I pay $106/mo for insurance thru my ltc employer - bare bone hmo plan. I agree the $25/mo is really cheap - wonder if that was a typo?? However, my employer only subsidizes the employee...costs over $500/mo to add your kids and $800+ for family coverage.

Alot of the CNA's i work with qualify for medicaid....but only if they have a dependant child.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

One more thought....for many of these 'low wage workers' i.e. CNA's, maybe they are better off not working and just qualifying for medicaid, and whatever other 'help' programs are out there - especially if they have small children - hence the 'staffing problems' in nursing homes???? I'm not the expert on this but have wondered to what extent this is true.

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Specializes in Gyn/STD clinic tech.

25 dollars a month may mean they must give up their smoking habit, nail/hair appointments, and other luxuries, but imho that is well worth it.

it is amazing what people who make 10$ an hour can afford, or refuse to afford.

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