05-05-2008, 02:23 PM
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#22 (permalink)
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| Banned Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Los Angeles Gender:  Posts: 11,893 Country:  Points: 39,710, Level: 100 | Level up: 0%, 0 Points needed |  |  Quote:
Originally Posted by LLOD  Although I know that health insurance is necessary in the US, not being a US citizen, I am pretty ignorant of exactly how the system works. So, prompted by these posts, I have a question that maybe some one could answer:
forester814 says that employers pick up the slack for the government for health insurance. Is this mandatory? Must all employers offer this to their employees or is it offered only as a perk? |
Nope it's not mandatory for employers to provide health insurance.
Most do and many companies constantly shop around for better plans sometimes changing insurers 2-3 times a year. Every time you may have to switch doctors, if they aren't included in the new scheme.
Even people who have insurance are covered inadequately:
Even the Insured Feel Strain of Health Costs
By REED ABELSON and MILT FREUDENHEIM Published: May 4, 2008
The economic slowdown has swelled the ranks of people without health insurance. But now it is also threatening millions of people who have insurance but find that the coverage is too limited or that they cannot afford their own share of medical costs.
Many of the 158 million people covered by employer health insurance are struggling to meet medical expenses that are much higher than they used to be — often because of some combination of higher premiums, less extensive coverage, and bigger out-of-pocket deductibles and co-payments.
With medical costs soaring, the coverage many people have may not adequately protect them from the financial shock of an emergency room visit or a major surgery. For some, even routine doctor visits might now take a back seat to basic expenses like food and gasoline.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/bu...surance&st=cse
You may think the NHS is bad but at least it's there! |