Survey: Employees Likely to Bear Brunt If Health Reform Raises Costs

By | September 17, 2009

  • September 17, 2009 at 12:22 pm
    Johnny Chingas says:
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    What else is new? Employees always bear brunt for all costs. Don’t be stupid and think this is all new just because Obama is President.

  • September 17, 2009 at 12:34 pm
    IMHO says:
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    Hey Obama promised he wouldn’t raise our taxes but he didn’t promise he wouldn’t raise the cost of everything else, including health “insurance.” You see, they still haven’t addressed the cost of health “care.” Until that is accomplished, insurance to pay for the costs will remain unaffordable.

  • September 17, 2009 at 12:38 pm
    Jay says:
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    Am I’m an insurance agent. I get commission on my own insurance, but if there is a lower option I will drop my “employer” coverage and take other coverage. It’s getting out of hand. I don’t go to the doctor half as much as my co-workers here. They run to the doctor for every damned little thing. I’m near death before I go to the doctor; don’t want to deal with the long wait….

  • September 17, 2009 at 12:47 pm
    Guy Fawkes says:
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    What??!! Do you mean that government cannot create wealth out of thin air?!? I thought that government was God and could do anything!! Do you know what this means? By anyone even suggesting that something that government enforces on us will cost more may (it just may) tear people away from the religion of government. Doesn’t everyone know that “governments” are not only omniscient but also without moral flaw?

  • September 17, 2009 at 12:57 pm
    Cher says:
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    I have been pretty pessimistic about Health insurance reform from the beginning. Not from the stand point of how it would affect my agency from a sales point of view, but how it will affect us from an employer stand point. Business, big and small, will not tolerate increased costs at this point in time. It is too tenuous of a situation given the economic conditions we are all facing. If I would lay off an employee in my small family owned operation you can bet other employers feel the same. There are always unintended consequences when the government gets involved in anything. It may not cost you more in taxes, but you had better believe it is going to cost.

  • September 17, 2009 at 1:12 am
    Potluck says:
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    Smash and Grab Politics
    The Govt. is simply trying to break in and steal the perceived profits and cash flow of the medical insurance system. Then they can mandate universal coverage changes that improve profitability. Something the Insurance industry would be damned for. This will give them a few more years on Medicare and Medicade atleast out through the next election cycle. Anyone done a study on jobs lost to the industry. I remember Hillary telling an insurance professional when they asked what will happen to them. Her answer – You are a bright young lady, you will find another job.
    Fair is Fair – Lets do a Flat or Fair tax and send the CPAs and IRS looking for jobs.

  • September 17, 2009 at 1:16 am
    Fed Up says:
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    Its’ been reported that employers that don’t provide health insurance for their employees are going to be subject to a penalty of 8% of their payroll. For most employers this is cheaper than providing the health insurance. Therefore employees are going to find themselves without insurance and being drawn toward the “coops” (ie public option). Which is the governments plan all along. We will eventually have a single payer system. Don’t doubt it for a second.

  • September 17, 2009 at 1:32 am
    'Bout Time says:
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    Any “thinking” person who is even vaguely familiar with the concept of running a “for proft” organization could predict that more gov’t control of the health care industry (anywhere from Single Payer to Public Option to Co-ops) is going to be like adding nails to the coffin of our almost flat-lined economy.

    Why aren’t studies like this made more public? Oh, yeah, because most of the media is in the tank for the “Hope & Change” folks…

    What’s even harder to understand is why, when both seniors and medical providers are scared to death of socialized medicine, both the AARP and AMA have endorsed Obamacare… Go figure…

  • September 17, 2009 at 3:04 am
    Mutumba says:
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    Its about time those making more money pay to help those who make less. Rich people and corporations need to pay thier share since they’ve had it so good for so long.
    Its time the government leveled the playing field so that we are all on equal ground.

  • September 17, 2009 at 3:34 am
    'Bout Time says:
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    Metumba, surely you’re kidding. right?

    “those making more money pay to help those who make less”….

    So who’s your favorite author, Karl Marx?

    If you don’t like the free market system our country was based on, maybe you should try one of the wonderful socialist countries and become one of the drones who has no ambition. For me, I llike it here!

  • September 17, 2009 at 4:12 am
    Marsupilami says:
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    1. The survey is based on the assumption “if reform leads to higher costs” (which is not proof that it will, just a conditional phrase in their questions)

    2. NOT reforming WILL definitely lead to higher costs (though reform may as well), just as health insurance has been increasing and employees have been paying more in premiums, co-pays, and deductibles for years. Our salaries have not increased in a real sense for decades, so why would employers suddenly be willing to pay more now, regardless of whether it’s due to new reform or same-old insurance companies charging more?

    Why anyone wastes money conducting these no brainer surveys … or thinks their results have any meaning whatsoever …

  • September 17, 2009 at 4:37 am
    "Bout Time says:
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    The real value in these surveys is to get opinions from employers to remind us that continued expense increases are driving them broke so they can’t continue to pay 2/3 of our group health insurance costs. Lots of people don’t seem to have any concept of what they’re health insurance actually costs.

    And by the way what’s $800,000,000+ added to the deficit over the next 10 years if not projecting an increase EVEN with this particular proposed reform. Then using the “Cash for Clunkers” formula of how close politicians typically are to projecting costs and we’re looking at more like $2-3 trillion…

    NOT reforming health care WILL absolutely continue to cause higher costs but who ever said the government was the best manager of our money? They’ve, pretty much, bungled, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, The U.S. Postal Service, the public school system … virtually every program they’ve touched.

    We don’t need them completely taking over this because if we don’t like how they handle it, we’re still stuck with them… FOREVER. Just try “privatizing” ANY government progams and see how far you get.

  • September 18, 2009 at 7:57 am
    Cher says:
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    So to Mr. Mutumbo, how about I just take my money, close my doors and let me employees find other jobs. This attitude absolutely disgusts me. I pay my employees well, but I am the one who took the financial risk with this business. I am the one who stays up at night worrying. A level playing field…give me a break. Read Ayn Rand and get a clue.

  • September 18, 2009 at 8:54 am
    Ratemaker says:
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    “Rich” people and corporations DO pay their share in the form of taxes, and do so more than adequately.

    The top 10% of earners pay more than 50% of the personal income tax in this country.

    Coporate income is taxed twice — once when the corporation earns it and once when it is distributed to the corporation’s owners in the form of stock dividends. Also, the corporate income tax has far fewer exemptions, deductions, and credits than those available in the personal income tax.

  • September 18, 2009 at 9:52 am
    Scary says:
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    Employees are being laid off because of the rising cost of health care right now. A long time family friend was terminated because his employer wanted him to become an independent contractor. They said his health issues were increasing their insurance cost. He refused to become and independent contractor so they terminated him. The irony is that he is a doctor and it was the medical practice that asked him join the group because of his specialty! This could be a concern for any professional working for a small company. You, your SPOUSE or your CHILDREN could increase their insurance cost. You could be forced to become an independent contractor and shoulder your health care insurance premium. Or you could get the boot.

  • September 18, 2009 at 12:37 pm
    I M Angry says:
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    for our health insurance was the result of one of our spouses having emergency but very routine surgery. That’s right – seventy five percent!

    Aetna — phooey!



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