PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post

dlssmith · #**124** 04-18-2011, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 450slcguy

Yep, that's what I thought. Understandably you don't get it because you only pay a small fraction of the costs right now.

I suggest you talk to elder relatives on fixed incomes who no longer have company paid benefits. See what they have to say about Medicare vs. the cost(and availability) of private medical insurance at their age. Only then will you begin to understand what it's all about.

Perhaps it would be good idea to start taxing company paid medical as part of employment income. Maybe even do away with medical tax deductions. I'm sure that would go a long way in financing Medicare expenditures.

I am involved in buying insurance for my company, and I know very well the costs associated with health coverage. For instance, every year my company must shop for coverage and part of the equation is our claims experience. We have an older work force so the costs are rising.

Aside from my experience, I agree that company paid medical insurance needs to be considered income for employees. For too long, companies have paid and employees have consumed without really putting those two things together. There is a disconnect between payment and cost which has caused an abuse of the system. Next time you go to the doctor, ask the receptionist what the cost of the exam will be. Most likely they won't be able to tell you, because no matter who is paying, medicare or private insurance, there is some sort of magic billing manipulation going on behind the scenes, after you receive services. I have been surprised more than once when I received medical services and got a bill later for a few hundred dollars when insurance didn't cover it. Since it wasn't emergency services, I could have gone somewhere else had I known I was going to pay - I could have, gasp, shopped for the less expensive place. But when I know that insurance is going to pay, why should I care what the cost is, or what they reimburse? The answer to that one is self evident.

We don't shop for medical services in this country to our detriment and that is the fault of gov't manipulation of the market, price fixing (medicare), restrictions on the ability of insurers to write policies across state lines, tax code rules that allow businesses to deduct health care costs of employees??? Why on earth can't I deduct my own expenses, aren't they my expenses, is it my body?????