On 3/31/10 12:12 PM, Eisboch wrote:

"hk" wrote in message
m...
On 3/31/10 11:25 AM, Eisboch wrote:


Our disagreement may be on the term "life threatening".
Conditions that can lead to a life threatening situation should, in my
mind, be addressed and covered.

I am talking about subsidizing health insurance in an HMO type structure
whereby receipients get free or next to free medical services for
sniffles, colds or issues of convenience.

Eisboch


Do most people, even with HMOs, see the doctor for sniffles or colds?
I'm not sure what "issues of convenience" are.

My doctor wants to see me every four months. I usually have nothing to
report to him in terms of aches, pains, ailments, but he checks me
over anyway, and has blood drawn. Prior to flu season, I pop by his
office for the nurse to give me the "shot." I see my ophthalmologist
once a year for an eye exam. Are these "issues of convenience"?


Yes.

I won't bore you again with the tale or details, but I did a survey once
that proved that it would have been less costly for my (former) company
and for the employees if I had simply paid for or re-impursed the cost
of the services that you described to the employees and had a Major
Medical insurance plan to cover serious, catasrophic or life threatening
injuries or illness.

Unfortunately, the state of MA nor the Insurance companies would allow
such a thing.

Eisboch

Well, I'm sure I would not agree that regular checkups are "issues of
convenience" for old farts like me. If my health insurer thought
otherwise, it wouldn't authorize the visits.

I was on the health and welfare committee of my local for many years. We
had a multimillion dollar deductible that we covered with a second
insurance plan. There was a substantial cost savings for us to do that.

Most construction worker union members pay the entire cost of their
health insurance premiums. There is no employer contribution. It's part
of the hourly rate. If that rate is $45, $8 an hour of that might go for
health care premiums and other amounts go to other bennies.


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