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 Post subject: Saving Gary Methodist
PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 2:10 pm 
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http://nwi.com/articles/2008/08/01/news ... 0e6b56.txt

#1 "You are exporting your higher profitable services, in large part to Illinois," Roob said.

#2 Brown, who has backed the creation of a teaching hospital and trauma center in Gary, either of which would lend status to local hospitals, said the lack of a trauma center "is devastating to all of Northwest Indiana."

Two very good points! People used to want to come to Gary Methodist. Not so attractive now with gun fire outside all too frequently. So we're again back to problems officials refuse to address citywide.

But the teaching hospital idea has some real promise. The big downside is that even teaching hospitals need money to run.

It's quite obvious that Gary's hospital is suffering because those who use it can't pay and those who can pay don't use it. Here's a radical idea I just want to toss out there. Why not make a city ordinance that everybody working over 20 hours has to either have a medical plan with their employer or else opt in to a city privately run basic coverage plan written with a major insurer. You could even put city employees in the plan with better and optional coverages to grow the pool. This plus a safe security zone surrounding the hospital and major roads with access to the hospital to create a safer environment. Then as the facility becomes more accepted perhaps create a specialty area such as burn trauma, infectious diseases, or maybe even geriatrics with specialization in serving to poorest of the poor.

I have long advocated at least minimal healthcare coverage for low income workers and while some may argue against mandatory regulation of any benefit provision consider the range of the problem. No healthcare plan today means that taxpayers will be picking up the tab. So doesn't it make better sense that a worker and employer contribute at least 50/ 50 towards this ever increasing cost rather than taxpayers?

And while I'm on the general subject a thought just struck me. I get these offers left & right from banks and credit card companies to accept $1,000 in free term life. Seems to me that it should be possible for an employer to at least secure a low level term life plan. I'm sure my bank isn't eating a tremendous cost just to offer it to me as a free benefit!

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 Post subject: Re: Saving Gary Methodist
PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 11:54 pm 
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Mirage...I can tell you, that if you are working, and can't afford insurance because the place you are working will not give insurance benefits, especially if you are part-time, you can pay your way to medicaid. You are still under the poverty level in this day and age, and many think if they go to work, they will lose their "free" government-sponsored insurance.

Not true.

For a minimul fee, they can pay in at little cost, enjoy a full paycheck, but still retain the medicaid by "paying in" a small amount each month.

Which is why most employers (i.e., Walmart, Pet-Mart, etc.) will not hire full time workers. It's easier to have them work part-time...and even though Pets-Mart offers insurance, it's the crappiest I ever heard of...you are only allowed five visits a year to a Dr., and one emergency room or hospital stay and they deduct an enormous amount from a part-time employee.

And you wonder why people stay away from working? They make eight dollars and fifty-cents and hour, work only weekends, and to pay for the crappy insurance, would take more than weekend work. But, that seems the norm now'a'days! I can no longer blame the statistics on how many people are on medicaid or whatever...it's the employer's fault. They get away with it.

Then everyone wonders why so many people are on government-assisted Medicaid. Actually, they are better off on that than what these stupid chains have to offer our future generation or, the generation of youths now.

Wal-Mart has now done the same thing at the "Super-Wal-Mart" in Joliet. My nephew's neighbor worked there for over 18 years, that is, before they became "Super Wal-Mart." After they changed and moved, she got demoted to crap....all part-time workers now. It's just wrong.


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 Post subject: Re: Saving Gary Methodist
PostPosted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 7:57 am 
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From what little I know of the medicaid program you have a $400 a month deductible. It's known as the insurance of last resort. As I said, they need to be covered by at least minimal coverage but I was thinking more of the common needs that taxpayers pick up the tab for by having no insurance and no money to pay. Even that PetMart coverage sounds better than nothing. The cost is another matter. If it's of no use to the worker and a big payroll deduction I wonder why more potiential workers don't just take a pass and work elsewhere. I believe even White Castle has medical in some states where they have to for one reason or the other.

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Saving Gary Methodist
PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:44 pm 
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I totally agree with you. I just left out the part - a very important part, that the kid involved at "Petsmart" in Orland, is a daughter of my childhood friend. She is planning to attend college this fall, and her absentee father is required by law to pay for her insurance while she pursues a career in the medical fied.

However, I questioned her myself (in all places, ORLAND), why she didn't seek full time work, although the pay is almost $9.00 an hour, the insurance would eat up her check, she replied it was like that everywhere out there. They don't offer insurance. If they do, it's so crappy, it wouldn't pay to pay in.So, she is taking her chances at age 19 - her mom works for State Farm, so I'm sure if it was worthwhile, she'd take on the insurance.

But, let me tell you another story...this insurance outfit hires people and requires them to work 12 hour days, on one day (devoted after 5:00 p.m. to telemarketing), and the rest of the week 8:30 to 6:00 with no hours off unless you want to deduct the pay....and the name is STATE FARM. This is the second STATE FARM that is going to get sued for violating the Dept. of Labor's rules. My friend has no choice but to work it, while pursuing another field. (That's the 19 yr old's mom). Meanwhile, she has been working since March and doesn't qualify for medical. Take that at 12.00 an hour...and the second STATE FARM which she will sue again..once she gets another job.

You wouldn't think these things exist with a company like STATE FARM, but it will be her second successful lawsuit eventually. And she will win. The point is, she's so desparate since her house is now in foreclosure, she has to take what she can get. But look at the other side: Even STATE FARM, the indepent owners are flucking the workers. So, you see - nothing is out there anymore, unless you want to enter the medical field and guarantee yourself a grand package of health insurance, which has been my goal always.


You wouldn't believe how these corporations take advantage of people and screw them out of pay and medical. If State Farm can get away with it...who can't?

I will report them to the Dept. of Labor despite her waiting for another job. Someone has to put a stop to it and the Dept of Labor needs to look into this. Like a good neighbor....I'm there.


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 Post subject: Re: Saving Gary Methodist
PostPosted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:47 am 
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The irony is that these are some of the types of abuses that got labor unions started, which unfortunately in the end too many just went corrupt and too many times got more interested in taking in union dues than actually protecting workers from unjust abuses.

Today apparently, similar to like back then, we again can't seem to voluntarily avoid taking jobs with abusive labor practices in order to force companies to treat workers right or else go belly up for lack of workers. Seems like the more things change the more they stay the same, or at least they seem to come back around to what was before. :evil:

Well I guess there's one difference. Thanks to outsourcing and technology the number of opportunities for such employment is lessened, so for many it becomes a matter of take a crappy job you hate or do without. I'm not certain if it's mandatory for you to accept a crappy medical plan. Everywhere I've ever worked it was optional to take medical coverage. But my point is that too many times no pool medical coverage at all is available. I still think there is some merit to explore having a city pool available and especially in a city like Gary where apparently so few have private insurance. I may not know all the nuts & bolts of how something like this could come to be but it certainly seems to me to be an improvement over what is today.

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If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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 Post subject: Re: Saving Gary Methodist
PostPosted: Wed Aug 06, 2008 5:32 pm 
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Hey! It looks like FL has been working on a plan similar to what I was thinking about.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2008 ... roadblocks

Now if this plan were 50/ 50 employer employee contribution we might be in the ballpark. And in IN coupled with with Mitch Daniels cigarette tax sponsored plan to cover some others it appears that a solution that is better than what is may not be so allusive after all!

_________________
If you voted for the Dems don't be surprised when things don't turn out quite as you were led to expect. Some might call it pure Marxism. But the problem with Obama economics is there's not enough money in the world to make it work.


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