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Health insurance

mtdew

I currently work for a small office of 10 people. My employer pays for my insurance and I pay $625 a month for my two kids. My wife became a stay at home mom and will cost me an additional $625. That's $1250 a month for health insurance. I checked with my state and I did not qualify for gov. insurance programs. I Talked with my boss and it didn't seem like he would subsidize me for family insurance. 

Do large corporate firms like Gensler pay for health insurance of spouse and children? If so.. I will look into moving.

 
Mar 8, 17 1:24 pm

1 Featured Comment

All 29 Comments

Non Sequitur

Health care is free for me.... not a single nickle goes out of my pocket. Hurrah for socialist Canada!

The hospital bill for my child's emergency delivery would have easily topped 100K if I was in the states.

Mar 8, 17 1:34 pm  · 
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Almosthip7

My Employer pays for 75% of my additional benefits, like disability and dental. We have a super awesome benefit package that goes and beyond what was offered up at previous firms I have been employed at.

May 30, 18 11:35 am  · 
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eeayeeayo

I don't know any architecture firms that provide 100% of a family's insurance.  One large, well-known firm that I worked for provided 100% coverage for the employee and spouse, but nothing toward other family members. 

I'm assuming when you say you checked with your state that you checked eligibility specifically for each family member, but if not: some states have programs that will subsidize coverage for children, at a much higher income threshold than would let the parents qualify for coverage for themselves.

Mar 8, 17 3:28 pm  · 
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JonathanLivingston

I once negotiated this additional coverage as a condition of hiring. Was easier to ask for than direct compensation. So you could potentially make it happen with a move. You could also probably increase your compensation through moving to a larger firm that would help offset those costs. 

Mar 8, 17 3:46 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

Mtdew. I feel bad for you. The office i work for, which is smaller wants to charge 800$ for Family HMO, and $1600 for Family PPO. Which is fucking ridiculous, but then are most things in smaller firms when it comes to being family-oriented. That said, individual HMO is fully covered here by the firm.

I used to work at a larger corporate, where really good Family PPO insurance was only $350 a month, and they'd put back equivalent of the deductible in a HSA account every month.

So yes, larger corporates like Gensler usually have a much better policy than smaller firms. Sucks.

Mar 8, 17 3:47 pm  · 
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sameolddoctor

Btw, the way i went is to get 3rd party insurance for wife and kids. It aint great insurance but costs me only (!) 500$ a month.

Mar 8, 17 3:48 pm  · 
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natematt

yeah, it would cost you like 300-900 depending on the quality of insurance you wanted at my firm I think. 

To agree with what was already said, large firms usually have better options, but few of them pay everything. 

Mar 8, 17 4:16 pm  · 
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chigurh

consider yourself lucky to have anything at all.

Mar 8, 17 4:59 pm  · 
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tduds

Race to the bottom!

Mar 3, 20 11:23 am  · 
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mtdew

Thanks for the input. I will need to get my shit together and apply to a larger firm and see how their benefits stack up. It's unfortunate because I do enjoy the work I'm doing now. 

Mar 8, 17 5:06 pm  · 
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randomised

One of the main reasons I don't want to live and work in the US is the ridiculously expensive healthcare insurance that's tied to the job. I know people who are stuck and unhappy in their jobs but can't change jobs because of their healthcare plan, not to mention if you or your family member has/had a serious medical issue, getting re-insured will simply be impossible. 

Mar 9, 17 5:30 am  · 
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dongiaxaydungtrongoibaoson

I am a single nickle goes out of my pocket. I wish i will stuudy at Australia

Mar 9, 17 5:42 am  · 
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gruen
This is why I'm getting second citizenship to get out of this shithole.
Mar 9, 17 7:12 am  · 
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Non Sequitur
^moving up north?
Mar 9, 17 7:28 am  · 
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senjohnblutarsky

Since ACA went into effect, my premiums have done nothing but go up.  When I first started working, we had age bracketing and I was fully covered by the company's alotted contribution.  ACA goes into effect, everything changes and I start paying. The first year it was a 40% bump.  Since it's been 10%-15% every year.  

I've stopped with traditional policies and, for now, have a high deductible HSA.  I just don't make use of insurance that much. 

Mar 9, 17 7:57 am  · 
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JeromeS

My situation is exactly the same as Mt Dew, but my wife just scored a cherry State job.  I'm gonna enjoy riding the public service gravy train.  All aboard...

Mar 9, 17 11:29 am  · 
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Featured Comment
ivorykeyboard

I work at a large firm, they do indeed pay a large chunk of my medical care. I pay $40 a paycheck, and they also deposit money into an HSA. my deductible is $400. Higher deductible plans are even lower.

I believe my colleagues pay around $200 a month. 

Mar 9, 17 11:37 am  · 
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sameolddoctor

Is this a HMO or PPO?

Mar 10, 17 4:35 pm  · 
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mtdew

ivorykeyboard... so the $40 for the coverage of yourself only or is your family included in that. 

Mar 9, 17 12:12 pm  · 
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shellarchitect

I get insurance through my wife, she's a nurse at a huge hospital.  Unfortunately they charge an extra $160 a pay period because I have the option of being on my companies ins.

Ins. is a crazy business

Mar 10, 17 1:08 pm  · 
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JLC-1

I've been skiing slowly.

Mar 10, 17 1:14 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur

Had to visit the doc twice this week, then a nurse yesterday, going again next week. Did'nt even have to pay for parking!

 

...sorry folks, just having a bad BIM coordination relationship go extra sour. Needed some happy thoughts.

Mar 10, 17 1:37 pm  · 
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chris-chitect

Non Sequitur, I forget, you were in Ontario? 

In BC we pay MSP premiums, but it ranges from $11-75 a month depending on how much you make. It really should just be in our taxes, but often isn't. My employer pays for it though.

Most Canadian employers offer health care coverage, but it's usually for glasses, the dentist, or in my case, visiting an RMT at a resort.

Mar 10, 17 6:27 pm  · 
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archi_dude

Free health care certainly sounds good....until you die from your tumor waiting for it. 

Mar 10, 17 6:58 pm  · 
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Janosh

You can do that right here in the US with a crap HMO that continues to deny procedures.

Mar 11, 17 2:31 pm  · 
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The rationing of healthcare in Canada and the UK is mostly a lie the right wing republicans and the for profit health care industry keep telling.

May 30, 18 11:44 am  · 
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tduds

"Free healthcare is bad because you wait for it" is such a terrible argument when I pay for healthcare and still wait weeks for appointments WHILE OTHER PEOPLE JUST DIE because they can't even access the waiting line. 

I'd happily accept a similar quality of care for free.

Jul 3, 19 10:50 am  · 
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BabbleBeautiful

archi, you obviously have never had a serious condition to deal with in the states. Just wait and you'll see. Then you'll cry, then you'll wish you were born Canadian or Scandinavia.

Mar 8, 20 5:26 pm  · 
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Non Sequitur
Chris, yeah Ontario for me. My office has extra benefits available like you describe but I declined them sine why wife has all of them via the school board.

Archi, no one is left dying while waiting for treatment. At least for us there is no excuse for check ups or tests since very little comes out of our pockets.
Mar 10, 17 7:33 pm  · 
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Health insurance is not health care.

Health insurance is the rationing of health care.

May 30, 18 6:16 pm  · 
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nabrU

All you Americans need to have a “great war” get trained up, defeat the Nazi’s, have the establishment shit themselves that you’re all trained and tooled up as counter insurgents. Then you have extra pressure to say NHS NOW! But aside from the historical context JUST DO IT. 

Jun 2, 18 8:55 pm  · 
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archinine
Jerome makes a great point, lots of gov jobs have some great health care, and often other goodies. Various architectural related positions under that umbrella. None are interesting work though, so there’s that.

In my experience usually the larger firms have the ability to leverage their entire employee base of 2000+ to negotiate lower rates with the insurance companies. Kind of like Medicaid does. Actually its essentially the same thing...anyway yes the large firms *usually* have cheaper benefits. But that is not a rule for all big firms. Check Glassdoor, most big companies will have at least a handful of reviewers who comment on the benefits. Since ACA I’ve seen my big firm rates tick up. But still nothing compared to the insane prices mentioned by OP. My fiancé has her own plan though and no kids yet.
Jun 3, 18 1:27 pm  · 
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archi_dude

Thought of this post after yesterday. Was talking to an electrician on site yesterday, non-union laborer. 100% free health care from his employer. 0 out of pocket......white collar jobs are not where it’s at it seems lol.



Jun 15, 18 9:06 am  · 
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3tk

Small firms can opt into a PEO and offer better benefits like a larger firm.  Not sure what the catch is for the owners, but for employees, it seems nice.

Apr 30, 19 3:49 pm  · 
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The Catch is the smaller firms are not always profitable, or their cash flow is volatile at best. These small firms don't want to offer benefits only to have to rescind them in the following quarter.

Apr 30, 19 9:57 pm  · 
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revolutionary poet

but does it cover Corona Beer?

Mar 6, 20 11:21 pm  · 
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Lululala

Gensler is currently NOT hiring, in fact, they are laying off people due to a lack of projects to keep their employees.  When I was there, I had to pay $150/mo for high plan health insurance and the deductible was $3000.  

Aug 7, 20 1:28 pm  · 
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