I am a small business owner who would LOVE to insure my employees. It is simply

[Freeper]

eeyore  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu Aug-20-09 02:09 PM
Original message
I am a small business owner who would LOVE to insure my employees. It is simply unaffordable.
   
I own a small business that currently employs 11 people, ranging from 28-42 years old. At present I do not provide insurance for them, though I would love to, even just on a catastrophic level. Unfortunately I have found out it is unaffordable.

One of my employees recently had an off the job accident. While sewing, she had jammed a needle under her thumbnail. Though she kept it very clean, it clearly had become infected, but she did not go to a doctor because she was afraid of the cost. She kept trying to keep it clean, but it got worse over the course of a few days, and eventually she was in so much pain that she decided that she needed to lance her nail (with the aid of some whiskey as a painkiller/courage bringer).

I had offered to pay for her to go to the doctor, but she felt guilty about that, and eventually was convinced to forgo the self-inflicted home lancing procedure in favor of a subsidized clinic the next day. Turns out she had been infected with mrsa (staff) virus, which can be very dangerous if not treated. The visit ended up costing her about $400, which I'm certain she put on a credit card. In the end all she would accept from me was a paid day off. She knows we are just making it every month, and did not want to contribute anything that might jeopardize her future employment.

My perspective, as a business owner, was that a situation that should have been treatable became an emergency for no reason beyond money. It affected my entire workplace, and ultimately did cost me money and time in dealing with rescheduling to cover her missed shifts. Also, from a compassionate and human standpoint, it was shocking and horrible to watch someone who I employ and care deeply about go through so much unnecessarily.

I immediately contacted my insurance agent to get quotes on health coverage for my work staff. He flat out told me that a business my size could not afford anything beyond catastrophic coverage, and even that will be a stretch. In the end the quote he gave me was roughly $500 per employee, half paid by me and half by the employee. So to insure my staff for catastrophic situations with a high deductible would cost our company roughly $2750/month, a price I can't currently afford without seriously putting at risk the future employment of my workers. My choices: A) Drain our resources and insure them at the peril of long-term future employment, or B) Keep the status quo against my better judgement and compassion to keep them employed long-term and hope for some reform to fix the situation.

I decided to wait out the health care debate to see what happens. I simply can't afford to insure my employees, especially under current economic conditions. I am not making a profit, I am just staying alive and keeping 11 people employed. I truly hope that one day soon my employees will have insurance, and if I could afford to I would buy them the best coverage available. They work hard and they deserve excellent care, but right now it's not affordable for them and it's not affordable for me.

Healthcare should not be a perk, it should be a right. Unfortunately it's a right I can't afford to give my employees. They deserve better.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6354452

Maybe if you weren't so greedy you could cut into your profits and offer it.
Don't worry though Obama will mandate that you offer it and your employess take it, whether you can afford it or not, or you will have to pay fines.

[Karin]

Oh yes, this business is doomed for failure.  This poster really needs to do some research and find out what's in that bill.  No blind party allegience and willful ignorance can be gotten away with on this; if this person values his business, he needs to take to the streets with the rest of us. 

[Wineslob]

Complete BS.

She knows we are just making it every month

It's called letting go employees you don't need. We do it all the time. Either that, or you don't know how to sucessfully run your own business.

I immediately contacted my insurance agent

to get quotes on health coverage for my work staff. He flat out told me that a business my size

could not afford anything beyond catastrophic

coverage, and even that will be a stretch. In the end the quote he gave me was roughly $500 per employee, half paid by me and half by the employee. So to insure my staff for catastrophic situations with a high deductible would cost our company roughly $2750/month, a price I can't currently afford without seriously putting at risk the future employment of my workers. My choices: A) Drain our resources and insure them at the peril of long-term future employment, or B) Keep the status quo against my better judgement and compassion to keep them employed long-term and hope for some reform to fix the situation

 
So, the DUmmie thinks about this...........AFTER an employee has an issue??

I think the DUmmie is full of it. My family plan costs me about $140 a month. I'm pretty sure the cost to the company is a write off.

[franksolich]

It sounds to me as if the eeyore primitive is running a sweatshop for seamstresses.

Probably no union label on her products.

[MrsSmith]

a situation that should have been treatable became an emergency for no reason beyond money.

First, the situation remained treatable, or the employee would be dead.

Second, if he could afford health insurance for this employee, she'd still be out $400, or close, due to the deductible.

Third, for only $400, his employee was able to overcome a potential limb-or-life-threatening infection and return to work.  Somehow, this is BAD???  

Fourth, regardless of how many times they repeat sob-stories, the fact is that someone has to pay the doctor, the hospital, the lab, the pharmacy, etc.  If the patient doesn't pay when she goes, she'll still have to pay for it.  It'll just come out of her paycheck in the form of a tax.  IF anyone can afford to HIRE her after they figure out their share of the country's health care costs.

Why doesn't he insist that the government owes these employees a place to live?  Transportation?  Cable TV??  A computer, and internet service!!

[IassaFTots]

Actually, if it was a WORK related injury, she could of had it treated through the state's worker's comp board, at no cost to her (the employee).  But then, the employer would have that liability on their record.  Of course, when filing a worker's compensation claim, certain info is required.  Perhaps, there is no documentation on said employee?

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

My choices: A) Drain our resources and insure them at the peril of long-term future employment, or B) Keep the status quo against my better judgement and compassion to keep them employed long-term and hope for some reform to fix the situation

or C) just raise the cost on your customers, i.e. price hikes.

Its the exact same net effect as the taxes you want to raise on the rest of us.

I'm sure your business revenues won't suffer one iota just like raising taxes on evil corporations has no bearing on their ability to provide goods and services...or employment for that matter. In fact, you should raise your prices enough to provide insurance AND a living wage--say $22/hour--with mandatory time off for family on a 35-hour week. If not your exploitative slaver capitalist pig. 

[thundley4]

Don't most MRSA infections occur in hospitals?  If the tightwad paid his employees a decent wage, $400 dollars wouldn't have hurt so much.  In fact, if he paid them a living wage, she wouldn't have been afraid of the cost of going to the doctor in the first place.

[GOBUCKS]

Don't most MRSA infections occur in hospitals?  If the tightwad paid his employees a decent wage, $400 dollars wouldn't have hurt so much.  In fact, if he paid them a living wage, she wouldn't have been afraid of the cost of going to the doctor in the first place.

Oops, you've made the common mistake of assuming some part of this DUmmy's story is true.

[USA4ME]

eeyore

Turns out she had been infected with mrsa (staff) virus, which can be very dangerous if not treated.

Those staff infections can be rough.  And by all means do everything you can to avoid a middle-management infection.

.

[LC EFA]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6354452

Maybe if you weren't so greedy you could cut into your profits and offer it.
Don't worry though Obama will mandate that you offer it and your employess take it, whether you can afford it or not, or you will have to pay fines.

Profits ? Profits ?

We don't need no stinking profits man - Hope and Change will fill the bellies of the proletariat.