4 ms·

My options are without question controlled by my employer. Eh? Google search "Private Insurance Canada" and tell me how your healthcare is "controlled" by you

My options are without question controlled by my employer. Eh? Google search "Private Insurance Canada" and tell me how your healthcare is "controlled" by your employer. This is like suggesting your employer "controls" how you can use your car because they offer you free parking. >If the care provided by my taxes was sufficient How is Canada's healthcare not sufficient, exactly? >You've been tricked into thinking group plans are cheaper.. Erm, remember that part where I said I was in the industry? Yeah, I know they are on the average cheaper. Plans vary though, of course, but pooling is a significant part of insurance. In 99% of cases, a pool of white collar office workers performs better than a pool of everyone. >Why do health benefits need to be offered to employees? They don't. That's why they call them benefits. >Why only offer them to a subset of the population We don't. Canada has universal health care and extended insurance is available for everyone that wants to pay for it. >Surely it's better to offer them to everyone. They are. The idea that every possible health problem and treatment that one can conceive of should be offered to everyone for free is about as dumb as saying someone should pay for everything themselves. Extended benefits are for services that we've already determined are "extras" to basic, guaranteed health care. I'm not sure you have a strong understanding of the purpose of our system to be honest.

grecy 13y ago
> I'm not sure you have a strong understanding of the purpose of our system to be honest. I've been here for 7 years, I think I have a pretty good understanding. I'm just not expressing to you well enough what I mean. I know Canada has health care for all, and I know you can optionally buy more with your own money. Great. All I'm saying is I wish employers were not involved in buying it for me. Healthcare should be divorced from employment for a whole range of reasons. Go and live in a country where healthcare and employment have nothing to do with each other and you'll see what I mean. I'm not just talking about me either, I'm talking about my friends, neighbors, workmates. Their options are all limited because they don't want to change employer because of the health benefits.
- inafield 13y ago
  Your point is still not relevant because it's offered as a benefit, not control. Complaining about it is like complaining that you're being paid a specific salary and not another one. Don't like it? Go somewhere else. Want to go somewhere else and don't like it? Don't go there then. Part of an employer offering health benefit is to compete against other employers. They don't have to buy it, and you don't have to accept it. However, few employers offer a buy-out policy, which is something I would really like to see. Currently I'm on GWL through my employer. While it's not the greatest, it's not bad for the amount of money. However, if I had the choice, I'd take the money from my employer and add my own cash to it to buy something like Blue Cross.
  - run4yourlives 13y ago
    You should look into this, because although it isn't advertised, you can in fact opt out of your employer's plan in a large majority of cases. There could be exceptions if your employer is smaller and/or several people have already opted out. Couple of things to note first however: 1. It's not impossible, but it isn't likely that you'll be able to find the same coverage on an individual plan for the same price. You could choose to opt for less/different coverage of course that is more to your liking. 2. Talk to your employer... they may be quite interested in learning why you don't care for the plan. One of the reasons I so like HCSA's is that you aren't limited to such a narrow scope of services... it is basically your company saying "Hey, for medical and dental here's $2K a year. Spend it on whatever CRA figures is a medical expense." A good benefit consultant should be able to work with your employer to make their plan something that is attractive to employees. 3. Pay attention to the things your employer pays for beyond health and dental. They're probably paying for Life Insurance, Dependent Life, ADD, LTD etc etc. Some of these benefits can be a lot cheaper in the plan, and are nothing to top up. Life Insurance for example you can buy as much as you want. 4. Make sure you qualify health wise. Apply for some optional life through your employer before you go out on your own. It would really suck to be rejected privately, then not qualify for re-entry in your employers plan either. 5. I'll say this to anyone - Buy Critical Illness insurance. As much as you can afford. This benefit is such a gimmie it's not even funny. It is basically free money to you (for anything) if you contract a major illness. Buy a house with it if you want. Take a vacation. No restrictions, no caveats. With cancer rates approaching 50%, it sure would be nice to temper your chemo treatment with a new Porche or a trip to Europe wouldn't it?

grecy 13y ago

> I'm not sure you have a strong understanding of the purpose of our system to be honest. I've been here for 7 years, I think I have a pretty good understanding. I'm just not expressing to you well enough what I mean. I know Canada has health care for all, and I know you can optionally buy more with your own money. Great. All I'm saying is I wish employers were not involved in buying it for me. Healthcare should be divorced from employment for a whole range of reasons. Go and live in a country where healthcare and employment have nothing to do with each other and you'll see what I mean. I'm not just talking about me either, I'm talking about my friends, neighbors, workmates. Their options are all limited because they don't want to change employer because of the health benefits.

inafield 13y ago
Your point is still not relevant because it's offered as a benefit, not control. Complaining about it is like complaining that you're being paid a specific salary and not another one. Don't like it? Go somewhere else. Want to go somewhere else and don't like it? Don't go there then. Part of an employer offering health benefit is to compete against other employers. They don't have to buy it, and you don't have to accept it. However, few employers offer a buy-out policy, which is something I would really like to see. Currently I'm on GWL through my employer. While it's not the greatest, it's not bad for the amount of money. However, if I had the choice, I'd take the money from my employer and add my own cash to it to buy something like Blue Cross.
- run4yourlives 13y ago
  You should look into this, because although it isn't advertised, you can in fact opt out of your employer's plan in a large majority of cases. There could be exceptions if your employer is smaller and/or several people have already opted out. Couple of things to note first however: 1. It's not impossible, but it isn't likely that you'll be able to find the same coverage on an individual plan for the same price. You could choose to opt for less/different coverage of course that is more to your liking. 2. Talk to your employer... they may be quite interested in learning why you don't care for the plan. One of the reasons I so like HCSA's is that you aren't limited to such a narrow scope of services... it is basically your company saying "Hey, for medical and dental here's $2K a year. Spend it on whatever CRA figures is a medical expense." A good benefit consultant should be able to work with your employer to make their plan something that is attractive to employees. 3. Pay attention to the things your employer pays for beyond health and dental. They're probably paying for Life Insurance, Dependent Life, ADD, LTD etc etc. Some of these benefits can be a lot cheaper in the plan, and are nothing to top up. Life Insurance for example you can buy as much as you want. 4. Make sure you qualify health wise. Apply for some optional life through your employer before you go out on your own. It would really suck to be rejected privately, then not qualify for re-entry in your employers plan either. 5. I'll say this to anyone - Buy Critical Illness insurance. As much as you can afford. This benefit is such a gimmie it's not even funny. It is basically free money to you (for anything) if you contract a major illness. Buy a house with it if you want. Take a vacation. No restrictions, no caveats. With cancer rates approaching 50%, it sure would be nice to temper your chemo treatment with a new Porche or a trip to Europe wouldn't it?