Archived Health Insurance Benefits Video. If you thought the union video was awful...

[talan123]

Anybody else see the video and think WTF?

They actually compared getting health services, like going to the doctor, to buying a TV. The video said that the reason that medical costs were going up so fast was that people went to the doctor too often and that Target, by getting rid of the old plans, was letting us see the true cost so that we could be smarter about it and use less resources and save more money (Our cost of going to the doctor would go from $50 to $160 or $320 so how we would save money is beyond me).

Then the voice over said, "Of course we aren't comparing shopping for health insurance to buying a health insurance plan." YOU JUST DID! This isn't rocket science, we do have memories that are longer six or seven seconds. I saw tears from my fellow team members at this point.

Then it went into how Target is spending a small fortune in order for us to have the proper tools to look at this from a point of view that had all the facts. Upon checking the links, none of the tools they had were running and all of the options were from 2009. A few phone calls later and our ETL's told us it wouldn't be up and running until we could select a plan. So the entire fortune must have been buried at sea after getting lost.

But hey, producing that video was so worth a few families health insurance being cancelled.

 

[naterstx]

Talan - Nobody's health coverage will/can be cancelled until next year, plan appropriately. Your over-dramatic tendencies continue.

Also, what'd you expect them to say, "Hey guys, you folks cost a lot of money when it comes to health care. We want to make more money, this costs us lots of money... you do the math"?

 

[PITBULL]

They better get out the anti union video again. They're going to need it!!! Do they really think we will sit back and let them destroy our lives without a fight? All so they can make MORE MONEY AT OUR EXPENSE AND OUR FAMILIES LIVES? Bring on the fight ORGANIZE. with or without Union

 

[greatteam]

Oh I wanna see this video. Health care is expensive, so we are cutting insurance so that you can see how much it costs and cut back on how much you go to the doctor. But we care about your well being and DO NOT CALL OUT FROM WORK EVER EVER EVER DO NOT GET SICK IF YOU GET SICK YOU STILL MUST WORK EVEN IF IT'S IN A FOOD AREA BUT IF YOU SHOW SIGNS OF SICKNESS DO NOT WORK IN A FOOD AREA BUT YOU CANNOT CALL OUT!!!! Be well!

They need to reevaluate this. Or the person who came up with the idea needs to get a serious medical bill and be told "Well use your spending account!!"

****ing idiots

 

[PITBULL]

Yes I've been home on medical leave LOL Cost me $400.00 total hospital and doctors.BCBSHMO I can't wait to be lead in to see this so I can get up and walk out!!

 

[invictustaylor]

i didn't like the video either. The smoking surcharge bothers me! I wish they had an obesity surcharge and a mental retardation surcharge. That would cast a net that snags up everyone of my etl's and about half the teamleads. Make them pay 265 or whatever.

 

[Miguel]

Who is naterstx to tell you to "plan accordingly" I guess he is chosing to ignore the fact that because of Republican policies, we don't have Universal Healthcare, which means ANYone with ANY health condition can NOT get health insurance unless it's provided by their employer! Besides, health insurance not provided by your employer is HIGHWAY ROBBERY! You have to wonder whether these heartless republicans were raised with any values whatsoever. The only thing that seems to matter to them is MONEY!

 

[RednTacky]

i didn't like the video either. The smoking surcharge bothers me! I wish they had an obesity surcharge and a mental retardation surcharge. That would cast a net that snags up everyone of my etl's and about half the teamleads. Make them pay 265 or whatever.

Yeah, obesity plays a large role in our health care costs, but the smoker's surcharge is much easier because it's much more of a controlled habit. Although obesity due to overeating is much harder to prove, because some people are born with great metabolisms, some aren't. You aren't born a smoker.

 

[Target Annie]

I heard at work we could watch the video online, but I don't see it yet.

 

[talan123]

No, this year they managed to cut my hours to 30.9 for average so I will be losing my benefits because I am now part time, as a former specialist this sucks. I was never given the option of cashing out.

Our healthcare is THE reason that a lot of team members are still here. It's like taking a hammer to a work of art because you think you can sell the stone for something more even though the market is completely full of bs.

 

[insiteful1]

I'm onboard with a fat surcharge! Heck there needs to be a fast food junkie surcharge and a lazy ass surcharge too......maybe those will be covered by the fat surcharge.

 

[talan123]

It's the laziness that get's me, even more than the stupidity. It's 30 minutes of exercise a day to guarantee better health for the rest of your life, though if you are a parent you should be excused from the laziness factor because god knows you have enough to do/worry about.

 

[ISMQUEEN]

people arent born fat asses, they arent born alcoholics, they arent born substance abuse users, they arent born promiscuous, they arent born fast drivers, the list goes on and on. point is many people engage in risky behavior that endangers their lives. one group shouldnt be targeted and punished.... and besides people will just lie about their smoker status because hippa protects them.

 

[talan123]

people arent born fat asses, they arent born alcoholics, they arent born substance abuse users, they arent born promiscuous, they arent born fast drivers, the list goes on and on. point is many people engage in risky behavior that endangers their lives. one group shouldnt be targeted and punished.... and besides people will just lie about their smoker status because hippa protects them.

Oh, I know all that. I know that there are some people who's body doesn't metabolize fat as easily as others and therefore it store's up in the body's cells or that often times mental problems are often showing themselves through physical symptoms. Smoking does kinda annoy me though, it's killing people by 10 minutes for every cigarette that they take but they shouldn't be charged for a release of stress. If Target cared, it would give stress relief classes. When I was fired for a month, I took time off and spent the entire month off just relaxing and learning techniques. Work was so much better.

 

[Rarejem]

i didn't like the video either. The smoking surcharge bothers me! I wish they had an obesity surcharge and a mental retardation surcharge. That would cast a net that snags up everyone of my etl's and about half the teamleads. Make them pay 265 or whatever.

If they had an insensitive boor surcharge for people that use the phrase mental retardation (sic) as a description for those that don't meet their standards, I'd be happy. That would snag you. Done venting.

 

[invictustaylor]

people arent born fat asses, they arent born alcoholics, they arent born substance abuse users, they arent born promiscuous, they arent born fast drivers, the list goes on and on. point is many people engage in risky behavior that endangers their lives. one group shouldnt be targeted and punished.... and besides people will just lie about their smoker status because hippa protects them.

This!

And I agree that people aren't born smokers, although sadly some babies are born addicted to nicotine.

Target realizes that there are alot of unhealthy lifestyles that jack up healthcare costs. They realize however that the cigarrette smokers are low hanging fruit, and that they can get away with charging everybody the surcharge. Quick money.

 

[redeye58]

So our health costs are cutting into company profits but not so much that Gregg can drop six figures of company $$ to a PAC supporting a controversial candidate (then donated $$ of his own directly to the candidate) as well as putting down some SERIOUS coin to buy the naming rights to a sports stadium?
Some may call it greasing the wheels of business - supporting a pro-business candidate & raising our profile. I call it a serious lack of priorities.

 

[invictustaylor]

or they are trying to slight veteran workers so bad that they get them to leave the company in droves, so they can be replaced with 9 dollar an hour people, and then the veterans who quit wouldn't be able to get unemployment.

 

[Miguel]

again natersTX (which,by the way, did you know that the REPUBLICAN state of Texas is the state with the MOST UNinsured people in the COUNTY!) his "plan appropriately" comment is SO ridiculous because people who have even ONE disorder or illness or defect in their body CANT GET INSURANCE! (and for the few who can, they insurance companies SKY ROCKET their insurance rates!) Naters continues to fail to see the OBvious resolution to this problem, TAX THE RICH and LOWER the CEO's pay, and we'll have TRILLIONS of dollars!

 

[Megaparsec]

Talan - Nobody's health coverage will/can be cancelled until next year, plan appropriately. Your over-dramatic tendencies continue.

Also, what'd you expect them to say, "Hey guys, you folks cost a lot of money when it comes to health care. We want to make more money, this costs us lots of money... you do the math"?

My appropriate planning will involve hopping into a time machine, going back six years and telling my body to NOT catch diabetes. Oh, and that's Type 1 diabetes before anyone snarks at my trim body.

 

[naterstx]

My appropriate planning will involve hopping into a time machine, going back six years and telling my body to NOT catch diabetes. Oh, and that's Type 1 diabetes before anyone snarks at my trim body.

That sucks, but you have a year to figure out what you need to do to keep yourself covered, so do that. You can cry about it, talk about how unfair it is, or look out for yourself and find the best solution. Is that getting a different job w/ better health benefits? Starting a petition to keep the PPO? Getting private health care? I don't know, but you have time, use it.

 

[redeye58]

And if you're diagnosed with cancer, naterstx, I'm sure you'll have time to do the same.
I'm sure any prospective employer would love to have you (& your health problems) & would NEVER discriminate against you based on said medical condition.
Life happens & some things are simply beyond our control.

 

[naterstx]

And if you're diagnosed with cancer, naterstx, I'm sure you'll have time to do the same.
I'm sure any prospective employer would love to have you (& your health problems) & would NEVER discriminate against you based on said medical condition.
Life happens & some things are simply beyond our control.

The ridiculousness of what you just said... well it amazes me.

1) Diabetes, especially type 1, is a terrible disease, but is 100% manageable. It's a pain, but it's 100% manageable and of potentially deadly lifetime diseases, it's rather inexpensive and allows you to lead a relatively normal life. Cancer isn't either of those things.

2) Using anything related to your health (that is out of your control) as a basis for hiring is illegal. I have no doubt some employers use it anyways, but it's still illegal.

3) Yes, life does happen, but you make what you will with the cards you're dealt. You make choices every day, you can roll over and cry, or you can stand up and work, you decide.

 

[redeye58]

You're missing the point.
Diabetes can be managed well in normal circumstances, true, but it's the unexpected that can cause you to fall through the cracks. I've known several diabetics (type I, all of them) who, despite watching their levels fastidiously, have developed infections & sometimes required hospitalization.
Yeh, we all know that denying someone a job based on their health is illegal but it hasn't stopped employers from using it. It's just harder to prove.
Life happens & you can 'make choices' like whether you can miss a day of work to wait in line at a free clinic or take your kid to the ER because your coverage was so expensive & crappy that you couldn't afford it any more.

 

[naterstx]

You're missing the point.
Diabetes can be managed well in normal circumstances, true, but it's the unexpected that can cause you to fall through the cracks. I've known several diabetics (type I, all of them) who, despite watching their levels fastidiously, have developed infections & sometimes required hospitalization.
Yeh, we all know that denying someone a job based on their health is illegal but it hasn't stopped employers from using it. It's just harder to prove.
Life happens & you can 'make choices' like whether you can miss a day of work to wait in line at a free clinic or take your kid to the ER because your coverage was so expensive & crappy that you couldn't afford it any more.

Your kid? So you're married, so are both employed? So shouldn't be that big of a deal on occasion. Not ideal, but such is life. And if both are employed, why doesn't one of you go to school part time?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, but expecting different results.