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Cynthetiq · 07-23-2008, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JumpinJesus

When shesus and I moved to AZ last year, we enrolled for the same healthcare plan we had in Chicago. Since we were in a private school in AZ, we did not receive the same contract-based rates we did in Chicago.

In Chicago, I was paying around $75/month for me, shesus, and our daughter to be covered well. I got my first check in AZ and noticed that for healthcare, the deduction was $374. I was a little taken aback and went to our benefits person to ask about it. "Are we really paying this much a month for our insurance??" I asked in disbelief. Her response was, "No. That's per pay period."

I was going to be paying $750/month for family coverage. That came to almost 20% of my salary. Considering I was paying around 20% of my income in taxes, I am a bit confused by people who say that universal health care will cause an increase in taxes. What does it mean when I'm paying 15% of my income to insurance that doesn't even guarantee that when I use the insurance, they'll approve the charges. From a financial standpoint, I couldn't afford the coverage and had to move to a lower level of coverage just to be able to afford it.

My issue is that we have some amazing doctors and some of the most advanced hospitals in the world, but those don't mean a thing if you can't afford to get in. Yes, emergency rooms will take you, but wouldn't it be a lot cheaper to have preventative health care so someone who is sick doesn't have to wait until it's life and death to be taken care of?

And this is the exact reasons that I have chosen to stay in the Corporate workforce. The pay is higher, the benefits greater.

While it isn't the ideal and passion, it gives me greater abilities to do those things that are ideal and passion when it's my free time.

In my youth I worked for Sears, and then Disney, I got screwed by Disney and vowed to never work corporate again.

When I got to small mom pop businesses, the pay sucked, the benefits sucked. When someone went on vacation it was a pain in the ass because no one did their job while they were away as there wasn't enough staff to fill in. I worked long crappy hours for low shitty pay.

I did not go to the doctor at all for any preventative care because it was too expensive in comparison to the ratio earned.

Yes, there I was holding out my pride intact! Go Me!!!

I got offered a job at a major pharmacuetical. I doubled my salary and got many benefits besides healthcare. I've stayed in Corporate America for close to 17 years. I've continued to grow my salary and position which has lead me down a career path that I didn't expect but has rewarded me handsomely. Not only do I have health benefits, but I have retirement 401k, pension, 4 weeks vacation, unlimited sick days, and a lifestyle that I could not have afforded working mom and pop.

Go Me!!!

If I earn more money, I'm happy to pay more taxes. I'm not happy to pay more taxes for the same money earned, which is why I'm not for any kind of nationalized healthcare.

I made my choice, other people have made theirs. We live with the consequences of the choices we make, good or bad.