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Health Care Insurance Concerns?


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I don't offer it to my employees yet but I can tell you that my own personal health insurance is planning to more than double because the minimums don't meet Obamacare's requirements. So much for the lie that my health insurance won't be going up. We will probably have to do without sadly because there is no way I can afford to pay double for the crap insurance I already have :(

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  • 9 months later...

I have just added health insurance. I have cut my personal pay to make it work. I am also lowering other insurance bills. I plan to call Comcast to reduce that bill, as well as cut out ALLDATA repair and use identif8x for all repair info.

I will probably raise my labor rate January 1st to cover the cost.

My wife and kids have been covered by CHIP and Medicaid. If they loose that coverage because I offer a plan It will cost me $1480 a month, more then my home payment.  

My one employee that signed up cost another $550. So this is a little over 2000 a month. If I raise my labor rate by $5 and fiddle with my parts matrix a tad it should balance out.  

It makes me sick thinking about the cost so I need to get it lol.

I do hope this will help me attract the better techs out there. If I can get a more efficient employee out of it the costs would be even more offset.

Edited by Hands On
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16 hours ago, xrac said:

At least the deductible is modest.  I am Medicare as of December 1.  My premium (medicare & supplements) drops by over $400 per month and my deductible went from $7,500 to less than $200 otherwise I would still be sweating the health insurance thing. 

I'm with ya Xrac, I turn 65 in April and I'm looking forward to Medicare. My insurance just took another jump of 

$100 to about $950/mo with a 4K deductible. I expect to see a decrease similiar to yours.

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While this is not insurance, I recently learned of this healthcare insurance option.   There is a company here called diamondphysicians.com that offers concierge medicine.  I think it's under $100/month and then most medical issues are covered.  Doctor visits are free, Lab work is about $7, xrays $30, etc.  They have both GP's and some specialists on staff.  I think an insurance agent can make a mint if they find a way to package major medical insurance with this type of medical care.  One is not covered of they have a major medical issue or if you are in a car wreck.  However, if there's a choice between no insurance and this only, it still has value.  The person that told me about this has no insurance and a family with small children.  He's a member of this network and at least he, his wife and kids are getting medical care.    I had always associated concierge medicine with wealthy folks only.  As you can see, this one doesn't break the bank.  

It looks like they might expand to other areas as it is a franchise as well.  

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Health insurance has become a JOKE ! we are not offered insurance through work.. I have to pay out of pocket for my and my wife's insurance. Our monthly bill starting Jan 1st will be 956.00 a month , there is no way we can afford it. We do not qualify for any assistance so it is on us.. Our saving grace maybe that my wife started a new job as a medical secretary for a spine doctor in a hospital so we have looked into their insurance and it looks like we should be able to join hers without having to wait until their open enrollment which is in may and wouldn't take effect until July. They said that they may be able to consider the high payment that we can't afford to be a life altering circumstance. Her insurance will be 400.00 a month cheaper and much much better coverage. much lower out of pocket and deductibles not to mention no need for referrals we can go to any specialist in the network most of which are in our living area so that is a plus as well. We should hear something soon if not we will be without health insurance starting Jan 1st.

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I had to pay a penalty this year because NYS made and error and cancelled a couple of my kids. Their website was broken so they couldn't fix it for a few months. The state got it corrected finally but we still had a gap. How can 6 people be on the same plan, all dependents of me, all signed up at the same time and 2 get dropped mid year? Computer error. Now I have to file another form to get a refund of the penalty, I'm still working on getting reimbursed for some Dr visits. Not to be one of those guys but when I was self insured everybody made more money. The providers and me both. By a LOT! My employees have other halves with family plans thank god because I can't afford to provide health care for them no matter how I figure it. 

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  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

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      Got your attention? Good. The truth is, there is no such thing as the perfect technician pay plan. There are countless ways to create any pay plan. I’ve heard all the claims and opinions, and to be honest, it’s getting a little frustrating. Claims that an hourly paid pay plan cannot motivate. That flat rate is the only way to truly get the most production from your technicians. And then there’s the hybrid performance-based pay plan that many claim is the best.
      At a recent industry event, a shop owner from the Midwest boasted about his flat-rate techs and insisted that this pay plan should be adopted by all shops across the country. When I informed him that in states like New York, you cannot pay flat-rate, he was shocked. “Then how do you motivate your techs” he asked me.
      I remember the day in 1986 when I hired the best technician who ever worked for me in my 41 years as an automotive shop owner. We’ll call him Hal. When Hal reviewed my pay plan for him, and the incentive bonus document, he stared at it for a minute, looked up, and said, “Joe, this looks good, but here’s what I want.” He then wrote on top of the document the weekly salary he wanted. It was a BIG number. He went on to say, “Joe, I need to take home a certain amount of money. I have a home, a wife, two kids, and my Harly Davidson. I will work hard and produce for you. I don’t need an incentive bonus to do my work.” And he did, for the next 30 years, until the day he retired.
      Everyone is entitled to their opinion. So, here’s mine. Money is a motivator, but not the only motivator, and not the best motivator either. We have all heard this scenario, “She quit ABC Auto Center, to get a job at XYZ Auto Repair, and she’s making less money now at XYZ!” We all know that people don’t leave companies, they leave the people they work for or work with.
      With all this said, I do believe that an incentive-based pay plan can work. However, I also believe that a technician must be paid a very good base wage that is commensurate with their ability, experience, and certifications. I also believe that in addition to money, there needs to be a great benefits package. But the icing on the cake in any pay plan is the culture, mission, and vision of the company, which takes strong leadership. And let’s not forget that motivation also comes from praise, recognition, respect, and when technicians know that their work matters.
      Rather than looking for that elusive perfect pay plan, sit down with your technician. Find out what motivates them. What their goals are. Why do they get out of bed in the morning? When you tie their goals with your goals, you will have one powerful pay plan.
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