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1 Comment [ View ]An unhealthy increase
It's the same for just about all Utahns in the workforce, particularly those employed in the private sector. Insurance costs are rising far faster than our paychecks.
And it's not just the employee hurting. Employers are struggling with higher premiums.
As the Standard-Examiner's Jesse Fruhwirth reports, Clearfield's Audrey Vinson is an example of how health insurance eats away at the family income. In 2002, when Vinson started working, her health care premiums were $98 a paycheck. By last year, it had increased to $270 per paycheck. During that time, Vinson's hourly wage increased from $7.50 to $11.
What that means, explains Fruhwirth, is that her health care insurance costs have risen almost four times faster than her pay.
That's ridiculous. But it's happening everywhere. According to a report from Families USA, a liberal health care advocacy group, there are "whammies" associated with the rise in health care insurance costs.
* First, employees' share of the health care insurance pie is skyrocketing. In Utah, says Families USA, family health care plans have increased 92 percent between 2000 and 2007. A single person's health insurance increase has been 60 percent.
* Second, says Families USA, employers' share of health care costs since 2000 have increased 82.5 percent for family plans, and 51 percent for a single person's plan.
* Another "whammy" associated with health care insurance increases, says Families USA, is that because of the insurance hikes, companies can't pay employees as much as they should. So workers' wages are suffering due to the health insurance crisis.
Many of us in Utah have noticed the obvious for the past few years: Our small wage increases have been swallowed up by larger health care premium costs. The result is either people are staying away from health insurance, gambling that they'll stay healthy or avoid an accident. Or, sick or injured people are staying away from health care because they can't afford the insurance deductible.
That's an unhealthy situation. Something's got to be done. It's wrong for a compassionate, civilized society to outprice basic health care for its citizens. But that is what's happening.
In Utah we have a health care task force exploring the issue. We're happy they're on the job, but frankly, we expect little from that group, at least in the near future.
In six days our nation will choose a president-elect. Both Democrat Sen. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. John McCain have specific plans. We compared elements of both plans, summarized on webmd.com.
Obama's include these proposals:
* universal health care coverage through federal and free-market solutions.
* a mandate for health care coverage for all children.
* a new public program for the uninsured.
* and an offer to small businesses of a refundable tax credit of up to 50 percent on premiums paid by business for employees.
McCain's includes these proposals:
* choices, nationwide and across state lines, for people to choose from.
* tax credits of $2,500 and $5,000 for families to help pay for coverage.
* establishment of a Guaranteed Access Plan (GAP) by working with governors to develop a model that states could follow to assure high-risk patients have access to health coverage.
Regardless of which candidate wins on Nov. 4, we hope that the next couple of months are spent hammering out a health-care reform bill that gains bipartisan support and gives relief for Americans who are being financially choked by health care premium increases.
If we have $700 billion-plus to bail out Wall Street, we can find a way to deliver affordable health care insurance for workers and employers.
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My my my, interesting that the summary of McCain's health care proposal includes his subsidy to help families pay for private care, but manages not to mention his plan also includes taxing, as income, health care benefits provided by the companies people work for if they get health care through their employer. Republican McCain proposing raising taxes by making employee health care benefits taxable income? Imagine that. Odd that the SE thought that particular aspect of Comrade McCain's health care plan unworthy of mention. Or maybe not so odd after all....
Why Comrade McCain? Well, wouldn't those tax credits involve spreading wealth around, taking tax money and distributing it as a benefit to those who have no health care now? And wouldn't that be socialism, by McCain's current campaign standards?
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