Letter from the Boss

[smileyman]

Family medical coverage through my employer costs $430 per month deducted from my pay before taxes. To purchase the same coverage as a private citizen from Blue Cross Blue Shield would cost me $320 per month

Dear employees:

My business started thus:

My father was on the board of directors. He sent me to the best state college and gave me a substantial allowance, after I graduated with my bachelors degree some 8 years after I started, my father got me on with the State as an auditor. I worked there until I had enough experience to claim professional knowledge (until the existing management had been thinned out) and my father nominated me Vice President of operations.

After boning my secretary a couple years and farming out my decisions either to Sr management or my underlings, i became President and CEO. I have a house on the country club and have unethically used my influence to make sure I got the inside deal on everything from investments to services. Now with my poor management and portfolio management times have gotten tough so I am going to ask a little more of each of you.

First in order not to lay anyone off we are going to have to cut salaries. Don't expect a bonus this year or even a cost of living increase. You will have to use your personal vehicle for any bank related travel, reimbursed in due time of course, and your locations postage will have to come out of your funds and be likewise reimbursed. Be prepared to bring your own supplies and it would help a great deal if you bought your own business cards (please get the logo right).

If you have any questions you can reach my assistant directly or wait until I return from the Vegas leg of my Mexico vacation.

I think this is a more likely story...

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Rsv1000R

Well, depending how you want to slice it, it's 100% company paid for. I do pay $70/month more for my benefits than I'm given, But I also get dental, eye, AD&D and life ins for that amount.

You pay. I get a similar amount of tax deducted to be put toward those things. Same-same.

[Archren]

Originally Posted by Amorok

I have absolutely nothing to add to the insurance thing, I'm government property and am insured as such. They'll keep me alive by any means necessary until they get the passwords.

Ditto. Except I don't have any passwords, so I'm probably not as valuable as far as the government is concerned.

[the chi]

Originally Posted by Archren

Ditto. Except I don't have any passwords, so I'm probably not as valuable as far as the government is concerned.

And you're Army.

Sorry, couldnt resist! Just teasing!

[Archren]

Originally Posted by The Chi

And you're Army.

Sorry, couldnt resist! Just teasing!

Yup... we do all the work, and get none of the glory...

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

I have additional health and medical insurance through my employer. This translates to being able to recuperate in a private room and having drugs that are not covered by OHIP being largely covered by that insurance. Nothing above that, and I haven't used even that yet. So far when I've been pitched off my bike it has always resulted in a ER visit and out-patient care.

Have you had any kind of major use of healthcare that resulted in wait times?

[shmike]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

You pay. I get a similar amount of tax deducted to be put toward those things. Same-same.

Yet for the same salary he'd pay significantly lower income taxes.

(I'd mention sales / use taxes too but then we'd be back in the cost of living debate. )

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Trip

Have you had any kind of major use of healthcare that resulted in wait times?

Well I lay on a backboard for 4.5 hours after arriving in an ambulance, waiting to see an ER doc, at one of the busiest hospitals in the Province. I had to make an appointment to see one of the top orthopods (does studies, publishes, acknowledged expert in clavicle fractures...) we have. My appointment was 2 days after my ER visit that time.

As to ongoing issues no, I've not had to worry about those.

[Trip]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Well I lay on a backboard for 4.5 hours after arriving in an ambulance, waiting to see an ER doc, at one of the busiest hospitals in the Province. I had to make an appointment to see one of the top orthopods (does studies, publishes, acknowledged expert in clavicle fractures...) we have. My appointment was 2 days after my ER visit that time.

As to ongoing issues no, I've not had to worry about those.

That's not too bad, just trying to get some insight cause I only have net facts and figures since I have never been up there.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Trip

That's not too bad, just trying to get some insight cause I only have net facts and figures since I have never been up there.

Like all statistics, they can be spun to support whatever your personal views are. When people down there want to make socialized medicine look bad, they quote wait times in Toronto hospitals. When people like Michael Moore want to make it look good, they go to London, Ontario and walk into a brand new facility. The range there is like comparing New York, NY to Chattanooga, TN to give you some perspective. We've got 2.5 million people in Toronto proper and a quarter of the country's population (about 8 million) in the area around the west end of Lake Ontario.

All in all my experiences with our two medical systems, first hand and those of friends, lead me to believe that they're essentially on par, with overall personal cost/benefits being *slightly* in our favour here.

You may not get to see a top guy in the field here the same afternoon that you're diagnosed and that hip replacement might have you on a 8 month elective surgery waiting list, but to balance that a broken arm and infection won't bankrupt you here either.