new job package

[nomadicnurse]

Hello,

I was just offered a position as a LPN at a local nursing home. They gave me two pay packages to chose from: $25/hour with no benefits, or $18.45 with benefits. I am having trouble deciding, as I am a healthy young woman with no medical issues. what would you do in my shoes?

[Alicia777, MSN, NP]

You are healthy now but you never know what tomorrow brings! I just had to have my appendix taken out emergently to the tune of 10K, glad I had health insurance!!

[happyinmyheart]

I would take the health insurance... Better safe than sorry!!!

[iPink, BSN, RN]

If you either lived in a bubble or was on your spousal's insurance, then I would take the money. But if you have none of those things, it'll be in your best interest to go with the benefits.

[Raviepoo]

This is really simple. Figure out how much extra money you would earn each month by going without benefits. Then see if you can buy a health insurance policy for that amount of money. If you can't, go with the benefits.

Another thing to think about is exactly what they are including under the heading of benefits. Like, if you don't get benefits does that mean you don't get paid sick days? Do they provide disability insurance as part of the benefits package? What about tuition reimbursement if you want to go back to school? You should take all of those things under consideration. If they haven't given you the full details of the available benefits yet, you can't make a reasonable decision.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I was a young healthy woman with no medical issues or conditions. I was without health insurance as my policy was still waiting to go into effect as I was a new employee. I found out I was pregnant (unexpected). Back in that time, pregnancy was a 'pre-existing' condition and since I was pregnant before the policy went into effect, none of the pregnancy related bills (OB visits, ultrasounds, tests, L&D hospital charges) were covered even when I did get on the plan. I figured out the total charges and figured that both my husband (then fiancee) and I could cover the charges ourselves.

I then had a 2 month premature baby..those charges I was not planning for nor could I afford. Thankfully, the babies charges were paid by insurance.

I was a young healthy woman with no medical issues or conditions...until I was 24 and had major surgery related to a 5 pound dermoid teratoma and an overwhelming blood infection. Thank the stars for my medical insurance. The charges were astronomical related to my two week hospital stay.

I was a young healthy woman with no medical issues or conditions...until I wasn't.

Do you see where I'm going? You are young and healthy until you are no longer healthy. No one expects to get sick or need surgery until it happens. Can you afford unexpected, astronomical medical bills and no insurance?

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

If you are a non-benefitted employee you will probably be considered "per diem". No paid time off and you're the first one canceled when they're overstaffed. I'd take the benefits. Not having health insurance is too much of a risk not to mention illegal nowadays...