Health care blusey blues…

I think we may need community witch doctors and herbalists very soon:

Workers face more health care cuts
Most of the southeast Michigan companies surveyed will reduce or eliminate coverage.

Joel J. Smith / The Detroit News

The majority of businesses in southeast Michigan expects to scale back health care benefits for employees, while more than one-quarter are considering eliminating employee health coverage, according to a survey.

The troubling news for Metro Detroit workers was among the key findings of a survey of executives from 203 local companies by Troy-based John Bailey & Associates. The results will be released today at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Business Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island.

The study shows 61 percent of companies are considering reductions in future health care benefits for employees while another 27 percent may eliminate medical insurance for workers.

Three-quarters of the business leaders surveyed also said smokers should pay more for insurance premiums, while nearly as many said individuals who lead a healthy lifestyle should get cost advantages.

Overall, 86 percent of the business owners said employees can expect to pay a larger portion of health care premiums.

Mike Lefich, owner of Excellis Computer Services in Oak Park, participated in the survey. His business has six full-time staffers and a number of contract workers.

Just three years ago, he offered all his employees fully paid family medical, dental and vision insurance. But he doesn’t anymore.

“I pay for the individual employee’s policy, but if they have a wife or family, they now have to pay for those themselves,” Lefich said.

“A monthly insurance premium for a family of four now costs $1,200. We just couldn’t afford it. We just don’t have a choice anymore.”

Of course this news isn’t limited to Michigan. Across this great nation, health insurance is either disappearing or the premiums are going up. My question: when is health insurance going to just price itself out of the market? I have a younger sister who works hard everyday for herself and her 2-year-old daughter. She devotes a large amout of her weekly earnings to health insurance premiums. Anyone out there that has children (below the age of 18) know that you have to be insured. You really can’t get around it. But when you paying 50% of your earnings to health insurance, the system has problems. I understand the small business owners point-of-view intimately. They can’t afford the high premiums of health insurance for their employees. The situation just stinks. Yes you can live a healthy lifestyle and avoid doctor visits. But what happens if your struck by a car? Slip on some ice? Or develop cancer? So are we just going to say as a society your shit outta luck and move on? Can we afford to do tha?

2 Responses to “Health care blusey blues…”

1. Mahndisa S. Rigmaiden says:

   June 6, 2006 at 5:49 pm

   06 06 06

   T Steel that is out and out ridiculous. Fifty percent of ones income? That is one reason why I am asking my husband to stick with his job at 50% time simply because the benefits are good. And he can use the other 50% to do whatever development he wishes. I hope we can soon change our paradigms to think outside the box in all of these matters. And yes, herbalists are needed because they balance out the drugs that the other doctors give. Oops I ramble. Have a great rest of week!
2. T-Steel says:

   June 7, 2006 at 9:29 am

   Yes we do need to think outside the box on this issue. But I have to tune people out when they start saying “NOT MY TAX DOLLARS”. Blah! Our tax dollars are being used for all kinds of things so stop already.