No more insurance for part time team members!

[konk]

Stupid question, but can I get COBRA? What if I quit before April 1st?

 

[Retail Girl]

I think they might have had more people sign up this year simply because of the requirement to get insurance, but it could be wrong. If the number was so low, then why not keep it since it surely can't be costing them that much? Or is that 36,000 people more significant than they would like to admit?

 

[commiecorvus]

Welcome to The Break Room bab5crusade.

I like the cut of your jib.

The is virtual cold beer and hot coffee every day in the chat room on the front page, drop by.

 

[Retail Girl]

Stupid question, but can I get COBRA? What if I quit before April 1st?

I was wondering about that. It might be more expensive than a plan on the exchange (but may be worth it if your only other option is Medicaid). That is something the benefits people they hired to individually walk each of the 36,000 people through should be able to answer (if you can get ahold of them through the deluge of calls they are likely to have).

 

[bab5crusade]

I think they might have had more people sign up this year simply because of the requirement to get insurance, but it could be wrong. If the number was so low, then why not keep it since it surely can't be costing them that much? Or is that 36,000 people more significant than they would like to admit?

That is the reason why they dropped the insurance. They don't want the 10% pop up to 90%-100%. It's cheaper for the company to drop the insurance and push people into the health exchange. Since we are payed so low. Most of us will be joining Medicaid. The tax payers will be subsidizing Target's employee's healthcare.

 

[konk]

I haven't checked yet, but I think my wife makes too much for us to get a cheap plan. It was gonna cost a lot for me to be on her plan too, so she didn't even get insurance last year.

 

[bab5crusade]

I haven't checked yet, but I think my wife makes too much for us to get a cheap plan. It was gonna cost a lot for me to be on her plan too, so she didn't even get insurance last year.

Do you live in a state where it has the medicaid expansion?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Ck with county or state family services, they may have other options for insurance.

 

[Retail Girl]

I haven't checked yet, but I think my wife makes too much for us to get a cheap plan. It was gonna cost a lot for me to be on her plan too, so she didn't even get insurance last year.

This is a life changing event, so you ought to be able to get on her plan without it being open enrollment.

 

[bab5crusade]

I find the timing odd. Why tell us now and not like last year? It gives employees less time to enroll in the health exchanges. Open enrollment ends in March.

 

[konk]

She's just gonna pay the penalty. She knows that I need insurance more, so our money will have to go to that.

I think if we had been told sooner, I may have been able to get my hours up to 31.5.

 

[bab5crusade]

She's just gonna pay the penalty. She knows that I need insurance more, so our money will have to go to that.

I think if we had been told sooner, I may have been able to get my hours up to 31.5.

Actually you may not have to pay the penalty. If you are too poor. You don't have to pay it. Also the penalty only starts on the 2015 return I believe.

 

[konk]

Yeah I think it's 11k for single, not sure for joint. Good to know about 2015 though.

 

[bab5crusade]

Yeah I think it's 11k for single, not sure for joint. Good to know about 2015 though.

I believe I maybe wrong on the date, but here is a FAQ on the penalty:

https://www.healthcare.gov/what-if-someone-doesnt-have-health-coverage-in-2014/
https://www.healthcare.gov/exemptions/

 

[Retail Girl]

This is considered a life qualifying event. That means that you all will actually have an extra 60 days to sign up for coverage.

https://www.healthcare.gov/how-can-i-get-coverage-outside-of-open-enrollment/

 

[mrknownothing]

Thanks Obama.

So once again, you want to lay the blame not on the scum who cancelled the insurance but on the entity (and I'm not saying who because despite people slapping the presidents name on it, a lot of people worked on the ACA) that made the effort to provide insurance for people who didn't have insurance.

That kind of logic just makes my head hurt.

Of course, it's cheaper for the company to just dump all it's part timers off its insurance roles and let the government handle it.
It'll be a nice little bump for the executives and the share holders at the end of the year.
But it's fucking wrong!

Doesn't matter they're going to do it anyway.
And people blame the bill that was written to get insurance for all the people who couldn't get insurance?

I just don't get it.

Despite the good intentions that were made by Obamacare, it really did not roll out how it was supposed to. A lot of people's premiums have gone up, and unless you qualify for subsidized coverage, you're basically screwed (luckily I do.... However its been a PITA trying to get it setup, very unorganized). A lot of the problems stem directly from the government website, and there are even inquiries into how secure peoples medical data really is (Sound familiar?).

Healthcare was something that I was never really concerned with prior to the Affordable care act.

Not trying to knock on Obama, because hes done some good things, but healthcare really IS a mess.....

For what it's worth, "Thanks, Obama" is an internet meme. I get the impression that Jackswastedlife99 was trying to make light of the situation.

Not that I've ever been eligible for part-time insurance (not enough hours at Target and it's not offered at my county job), but now I'm even more thankful for my relatively good health........and the fact that I'm somehow still covered by my parents' insurance.

 

[daninnj]

Man did anyone else hear the spin they give in the script? Something like "we're cutting part time health insurance so you can get cheaper rates on the government insurance." I like how they make it like they're trying to help us.

 

[bab5crusade]

Man did anyone else hear the spin they give in the script? Something like "we're cutting part time health insurance so you can get cheaper rates on the government insurance." I like how they make it like they're trying to help us.

Basically saying: "We got tired paying for your health. It is more profitable for us to make you all to get taxpayer subsidized healthcare through the state."

 

[redeye58]

If enough companies do this (dump their coverage, forcing employees into ACA), it could be the first step toward a universal (single payer) health plan.

 

[The Dude Abides]

I actually have to give my STL a ton of credit for his handling of the issue. He basically came out and told us the truth and was sympathetic. He even allowed one distressed team member to use his office computer to help find a new healthcare provider. I kind of feel bad for the ETL-HRs and STLs who have to handle this. They weren't really given any prior notice and just had this dropped into their laps and for every one team member who understands it's not their fault there will probably be a dozen more screaming at them.

 

[bab5crusade]

If enough companies do this (dump their coverage, forcing employees into ACA), it could be the first step toward a universal (single payer) health plan.

Actually not:

Is Obamacare a step toward single-payer?

The ACA isn't a bridge to universal health care. It is a cul-de-sac, structured above all else to maintain the central role of the health care industry in general, and private insurance companies in particular....Achieving universal health coverage and access to care will require dismantling the core of the ACA and replacing it with something else entirely.
http://socialistworker.org/2014/01/14/a-step-toward-single-payer

[h=1][/h]

 

[The Dude Abides]

Yeah, the ACA was originally an attempt to begin the process toward moving to a single-payer, but once the insurance lobbyists and greedy Congressmen sunk their teeth into it we got the bloated mess we have today.

 

[bab5crusade]

Yeah, the ACA was originally an attempt to begin the process toward moving to a single-payer, but once the insurance lobbyists and greedy Congressmen sunk their teeth into it we got the bloated mess we have today.

Back when ACA was being developed. Obama was not a supporter of single-payer. He believe insurance companies are needed and he believed the health exchanges are the best option.

The only way we will get single-payer is state by state like Vermont is doing.

 

[Guest]

When I posted "Thanks Obama", I was mainly being sarcastic and it was a nod to all of those GIFs that people have made that show people making mistakes and it the GIF has "Thanks Obama" in it. I think one has a guy watching TV and he spills his popcorn and you see "Thanks Obama" on the screen. Personally, I think the ACA or Obamacare is a joke because it does the complete opposite of what the silly was intended to do. It was intended to help people. It doesn't help people. It screws people either in the sense that they lose their insurance due to their employer terminating the insurance because of costs and then they have to sign up for wonderful health care plan that is ridiculously more expensive than the one they had before. And you shouldn't be forced to buy something. You can't use car insurance because you don't have to have a car. Even if you did have a car, you would only have to have car insurance if your car is registered. I think people should be allowed to take chances when it comes to their health but at the same time I guess you should be allowed to have medical help in case of an emergency without having to sell your soul to the devil. Sorry for the rant. And no, I'm not a Republican. I voted for a 3rd party candidate for president in 2012. I honestly don't think I will ever vote for a Republican or Democrat for anything. Both parties are jokes and the members of those parties should be ashamed of themselves for destroying America.

 

[Ember]

At the end of last year I was working 40 plus hour weeks. Originally I had known that I would be eligible for insurance at my 6 month anniversary, which was to be at enrollment time. I looked at the ACA option and it wasn't an option because it cost more than we could afford and was going to be better for us to get it through Target. Where we both work, the spouse is eligible of course but when it was only one income it was not an option because it was too expensive. Now they have told me that Average for the year means that I would have to be there for a year. Does that sound right? Every time I looked my average hours were 39.5...I don't think this is fair seeing that in six more months I will make a year and I always get more that 30 hours. Unless they say, no your 40 hour overtime mark is now 30. I am upset because I was excited to get insurance because I had stuck it out there for the last six months, and now it's too late to get ACA. I need to go to the doctor at some point in my life. Guess I will have to take the tax penalty and pay cash for the doc. My health care always gets pushed to the back burner. Spouse is more important because Spouse is a long time Target employee, and spouse has long term incurable illness. I'm upset and lost and not understanding what the point of continuing to work there is. It's a shame because I am a good employee, and do multiple jobs.