The issue I will be discussing here in a minute is the most current of a long and steady line of strange policy changes and disregard for peoples dignity and self respect. What happened is not isolated to only me or my company. It is something that has been slowly over many many years been building into a crisis. That is the exorbitant cost of health insurance. Let's be real here. Many people want to blame "Obamacare". i don't even know what that statement means. It's like everyone is just supposed to know exactly what that means. If I remember correctly Our health insurance issues began long before Obamas attempt at medical reform. Others want to blame republicans because of there opposition to regulate private industry. And really who can blame them? Is it really OK to pick and choose whats OK to make a profit on? I don't think so.
The real blame lies in us. The working class that have spent far to long being grateful just to have a job. We've bought into the fear that if we speak up we will be unemployed. We've let our unions be controlled by the same bureaucratic crap that has finally, after many many years, bogged our government down into complete ineffectiveness. It is our job to regulate what our employers can and can't do, just as it is our responsibility to force those that represent us to act in our best interest as private citizens.
What happened with my company and health insurance probably isn't to different than what has happened to many people around the country. I am not egotistical enough to think that what happened where I work is isolated to just where I am employed. I am also quite sure that it is not the worst thing that has happened. you see what happened was that we had our open enrollment benefit period begin. You know that wonderful few days you company gives you to make massive life altering decisions about how much health care you are willing to do without. I will use the family "plan" as an example as that is where the main source of the problem. With the old plan a family, defined as an employee, a spouse and whatever offspring they have produced, we paid $180.00 per pay period. A pay period is two weeks, so we paid around $360.00 per month. Which really wasn't bad and we all figured there would be some kind of increase, but hey that's life. Well we definitely got an increase. That same plan that cost $180.00 every two weeks is now priced in at the extremely affordable price of.... ready for it? $420.00 every two weeks or eight hundred and fucking forty dollars a friggin month. Yes go ahead read it again that is not a typo.
From here on I am going to post the letter that I was asked to write concerning the conversation me and the company representative the company I currently work for sent. This all occurred in front of a room full of people. So luckily this guy was not only an asshole but not very well versed in current views on hostile work environments.. And yes I'm lazy and just don't feel like writing the whole thing over again. I have blocked out any names including my own.
From:
Date: 3 June 2011
Date: 3 June 2011
Subject: Discussion concerning health insurance with ... during open enrollment briefing.
On 2 June 2011 at 12:15 PM, I attended an open enrollment insurance briefing with my crew and members of the services section. At this briefing we were informed that our health insurance premiums were going to increase to as much as $840.00 per month for an employee with a spouse and children. This is an increase of roughly 40 percent from what we are currently paying.
An employee asked for an explanation as to why this increase was going to take place...., who was delivering the briefing to us, attempted to explain that this increase was unavoidable due to the increased costs of medical care and the increase in number of employees that M2 services currently has. We were not told if other avenues for health insurance were sufficiently investigated or exactly how much the company was paying into our insurance plans.
I told ... that an increase of 40 percent was impossible for a person such as me who is the soul income for a family. I told him that this would make it impossible to pay for health insurance as well as the other costs of supporting a family, such as food, rent, etc. He asked if I could live without health insurance. I told him I could not, but I also could not live without food. Mr. Johnson then informed me, in front of the group that I needed to re-prioritize my life and make some hard choices. I told him that these were not choices I could make and that it was a matter of not having the means to pay this kind of premium and pay for food for my family. He once again told me that I would have to make some hard choices.
I also expressed my concern that the disparity between what a single person has to pay and what an employee with a family has to pay gives the impression that people with single income families are not welcome here. I did not receive any response to this.
It is difficult enough for middle income families to afford all the necessities in life as it is. This 40 percent increase to $840.00 dollars a month is, in some cases, half a month’s pay. To be told that I need to re-prioritize how I take care of my family is an attack on my character. I feel this to be discriminatory towards anyone who must support a family. It is not right to tell any employee that not being able to afford a 40 percent increase in health insurance is a failing on their part. It is also the company’s responsibility to inform their employees as to exactly why such an increase is taking place.
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