How to break the bad health care news to your co-workers
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
My company recently held meetings to role out the health benefits for 2010. There was a giant elephant in the room and its name was health care reform.
HR started a panic when it indicated that they were "closely watching the health care reform legislation." That led many others to wonder, why "they" were watching the reform. After all, the reform is only for people without heath care and we, that comprise the 200 million that have insurance, already have insurance. There is no reason to watch the legislation form…unless…
It was someone in the back row that asked if the company was considering dropping our health care benefits if the health care reform passed.
What was most surprising was the number of people who looked puzzled. I had a chance to speak to several of them after the meeting.
"Why would "our company name redacted" be thinking about dropping our health care coverage if the health care bill is passed?" One asked. My first impression was that this person must be a liberal.
I was only too willing to lay out the cold hard truth of the legislation. "Well, according to the congressional budget office, companies have an incentive to drop coverage since people can go sign up for government health care."
Since we were talking about health care and I have a great deal of knowledge on the symptoms of bad legislation, I decided to give my coworkers their prognosis.
"If they pass the congressional bill, the CBO estimates we have a 1 in 10 chance of losing our plans. The senate bill has it at 1 in 20."
Their reply?
"Well, I'm sure that they'll fix all that before making it law. It doesn't make sense passing a bill that would kick people out of their current health insurance."
No, they will pass health care legislation because their ideology is more important than you and yes, it is crazy.
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13 comments
Well, considering that, even if the bill was to pass tomorrow, it would not take effect until what? 2019! It seems that you and your company's HR department are really jumping the gun here don't you think?
November 25, 2009 at 9:20 AMThere's nothing wrong with losing employer plans. Employer sponsored plans, IMHO, are the main problem with healthcare today. (The solutions is NOT a massive overhaul of the entire industry.) If most employers get out of the health insurance management business, that will be a good thing for all concerned.
November 25, 2009 at 10:47 AMIt's 2013 for the congressional bill and 2014 for the Senate bill.
November 25, 2009 at 10:51 AMLet us define jumping the gun.
You are a businessman. Would you not plan for the future?
I also don't see parroting the CBO as "jumping the gun"
However, I do remember your post on the Kentucky Census worker who's death you alleged was the result of all the rowdy opposition talk against the Democrat controled governemnt.
http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/1032979.html
That might be considered jumping the gun.
Have a great Thanksgiving Tao!
BLESSED THANKSGIVING MY FRIEND!!..I am tryin not to think of all the madness for the next few days!..hugs!
November 25, 2009 at 11:50 AMCJ - Happy Thanksgiving CJ! I agree 100%. So when I see people confused over the fact that they may lose their current plan I get a little upset with the one who has been misleading people with the constant sound bites of "if you like your plan, you can keep your plan."
November 25, 2009 at 1:13 PMIf there was a little bit of honesty regarding the legislation that they plan on passing, smart ideas like yours and mine might actually surface.
WHT - good luck and happy Thanksgiving.
It's amazing that people don't understand what is going on with Health Care Reform. They don't get it.
November 25, 2009 at 2:37 PMHave a Happy Thanksgiving C Gen!
Gahhh!
November 25, 2009 at 2:52 PMYou cannot reason with people who are not only uninformed, but also blindly assume that whatever the state does will help them.
It's a killer combination of voting loyalty that the Left does everything in its power to encourage.
The bill, last I checked it, out-and-out bans plans with high deductibles. My plan's deductible is $5000. No matter how much I like it, it will not be able to keep it.
November 25, 2009 at 4:19 PMWhat matters is having money to pay for the things you want, so all of these games are just a minor annoyance.
"If you like your plan, you can keep your plan" was an out-and-out lie. Usually things in politics are shades of gray. This one was just a lie.
If-you
Wow! I have been bitch slapped!
November 25, 2009 at 5:45 PMWell, glad to see that you believe everything your government tells you?
Ever been to Eastern Kentucky? Want to hear corruption stories about the KSP?
Tao - LOL! I'm sure you'll get me back and soon.
November 25, 2009 at 8:27 PMActually, I don't believe everything my government tells me, which is why I'm quite sure that "if you like your health care plan you can keep it," is a lie.
Right - happy thanksgiving
November 25, 2009 at 10:20 PMTrack - so true and also really annoying.
C-Gen and CJ - I like the energy here. TAO - how was that a bitch slap? Great debate here, I totally agree with both C-Gen and CJ that this entire HC takeover is about just that. A takeover and it will be an utter and sheer disaster. C-Gen - it doesn't surprise me to hear of the utter misinformed status of your co-workers and the fact that they have faith in statist pols to 'command' their future in a correct fashion is unfathomable to me.
November 25, 2009 at 11:20 PMBy the way the under 30 crowd is starting to catch on. They are beginning to ask questions and support for the "Obama" agenda is beginning to fade despite all the cheer-leading.
November 30, 2009 at 9:03 PMPost a Comment