Small company or large healthcare?
Even the Insured Feel the Strain of Health Costs
By REED ABELSON and MILT FREUDENHEIM
Published: May 4, 2008
For millions of people with employer health insurance, premiums and co-payments have increased quickly while coverage has become less extensive.
I’ve talked about this before and discussed, debated, screamed and shouted about the need for universal healthcare (or at least some other way to share the burden). People shouldn’t have to choose between working for a small company/nonprofit or going to a larger company that has better benefits. These days the larger corporate giants are the only ones who can afford to spread the risk among their employees so if you have any kinds of medical risks, you MUST go there or suffer the consequences. Even then, you are paying more than ever before. And God forbid you actually get sick and have to take time off…
And the line in this story about not taking the kid to the doctor because his fever is only 102? I think a lot of parents with busy jobs are really feeling that pressure. Especially with doctors’ hours only between 8:30 - 5. I’m just thankful for those new clinics inside the CVS! And we even changed pediatricians so that we had the option of a Saturday morning clinic until noon for urgent appointments. That’s not to say that Pumpkinhead’s health isn’t my #1 concern. If he’s sick, I take him. But if it’s just yet another ear infection, why can’t the doctor have one late night that they stay open until 8? How hard would that be? Maybe they then open at 11 the next day or something to make up the time? Not everyone stays home and employers are making it harder and harder to get away for these things.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
Not to mention the insurance company trying desperately to deny any and all claims. I just ranted about insurance companies today. I hate them. Hate them all. Evil. Even though Husband works in the health-care profession we still get screwed! ARGH!!