We don't have one of these here, and likely jeffd will fill this up with quotes of his QT3 posts in short order, but there's an interesting development in the ACA fight out of WA today: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/ar...a-for-breach-of-ethics-in-health-care-lawsuit I don't know if this will be in time to affect anything in the SCOTUS (and hell, like facts can trump ideology any more), but I'm definitely curious to see how well this holds elected officials' feet to the fire.
Ladies & Gentlemen of the fine United States of America, this is why you DO NOT leave healthcare in the hands of all seeing, all knowing, beneficent private employers: http://www.brokentoys.org/2012/05/25/the-week-the-music-died/ For every 99 companies that handle their responsibilities, one bad apple leaves citizens of the country in the lurch, through no fault of their own. Stand by for the lolbertarians rolling up to say employees should have been checking the status of their insurance every week or something, to ensure they had coverage. The health and well being of the citizens of the nation is a core responsibility of enlightened government, you cant outsource it!
I read somewhere that 38 studios employees may be not eligible for COBRA because studio stopped making some payments... how does that work?
38's gonna be a weirdo case because it looks like it imploded pretty quickly (I'd be interested to know if they were still withholding the employee's share, if any, of the insurance premium during the time between when they stopped paying the insurance premium and stopped paying the employees; that could have some major tax complications) but in general how COBRA works is that the ex-employee is offered the chance to continue coverage by paying the full premium. Considering that employers pay at least some of that (50% is the going rate IME; 80% isn't unheard of) it can be a huge shock to for the now ex-employee to see this multi-hundred dollar bill show up. In 38's case I'd be willing to bet that, assuming that it is true they didn't actually pay the insurance bill, there's no COBRA coverage for anyone since there wasn't health insurance at least at the time of said implosion. Which is really gonna suck if any employee or family of said employee is pregnant or has a pre-existing condition. I have no idea of RI state employment laws so I don't even know if cancelling coverage, again assuming they didn't pay the bill, without employee notice is legal.
That's correct. I saw that about 38 Studios, pretty fucked up. Question: does "health care reform" take care of the situation where someone exhausts their sick pay and vacation leave and is out on medical leave, or is that the role of disability/medicare, or are they just screwed in the US? I have a co-worker who has serious health issues, 0 vacation or sick time banked, and just had an emergency that will keep them out for at least 6 weeks, without pay. What happens to their health care? (We are rounding up vacation time donations for them, so hopefully it won't be an issue, in this particular case.)
The Health Care Markets don't open until 2014, but they've already started the national Pre-Existing Condition insurance policy. If you can't get insurance elsewhere, or will have an exemption for your pre-existing condition, they are your insurer of last resort. It's actually a pretty damned good policy, and the reason I have insurance for the first time in almost a decade.
