The Pros and Cons of Group Health Insurance

The health insurance marketplace is certainly challenging, but count your lucky stars that at least you have choices. To that end, this article is going to explore the pros and cons of group health insurance.

Group Health Insurance Pros

Group health premiums are subsidized by the employer. Generally, an employer must contribute at least 50% of the “employee only” premium. As such, if you are the employee, you can likely get a richer health plan for less premium than you would pay in the individual health marketplace. However, the cost to add your dependents to the employer’s plan, may be cost prohibitive. In this case, and assuming that your dependents can qualify, then you may want to put them on an individual health plan.
Group health premiums for large families are the same as for small families; whereas in the individual market, you pay a separate premium for every family member. So, if you have a large family, you may be able to get a better deal by adding them to your employer’s plan. As with any insurance change though, don’t make any changes without consulting with an experienced insurance advisor in your state.
Group health insurance in most states is guaranteed issue – meaning that you can’t be turned down because of pre-existing health conditions. This is a real blessing if you or a family member has a medical condition that prevents you from qualifying for a individual plan. But, this is a double-edged sword. While being guaranteed issue is a huge benefit for those with pre-existing medical conditions, it does come at a price. This one feature alone accounts for most of the disparity between group and individual insurance premiums. Yes, that is right – in most states, individual health premiums are almost always less expensive than group health premiums.
Most group plans cover maternity. So, if you are planning on having more children, you should definitely consider hopping on to a group plan. While you can add a “maternity rider” to individual plans, these riders tend to be expensive, restrictive, and otherwise provide less value than the coverage you can get in a group health plan. That being said, if you are considering having more children, we recommend that you contact a health insurance advisor in your state for advice about what is best for your family. The right answer is different for each unique family.
Economies of scale can benefit employees of large employers. It is true that the larger the group, the larger the risk pool is in which to share the risk which CAN result in lower premiums than are available in the individual health market. However, the guaranteed issue “issue” CAN wreak havoc on this type of plan. For example, a large employer with good benefits tends to retain employees for long periods of time. Eventually, the average age of the group starts to creep up and so do premiums. In addition, people with large medical needs (expensive medical conditions) tend to be attracted to large plans because they are guaranteed issue with good coverage. And so, over time, not only is the group’s average age increasing, but the group is also attracting employees with large expected health costs. This is the dilemma that we see with large health plans like the U.S. auto-makers and even government plans. Eventually, those with lots of medical needs begin to outnumber those with little or no needs and so premiums are driven higher and higher.
Group Health Insurance Cons

Group health insurance can be more expensive than individual health insurance. ln fact, if you don’t factor in the employer’s contribution towards premiums, then individual plans are almost always more affordable than group plans. However, as we discussed earlier, not every one can qualify for an individual plan.
What happens if your employment is terminated (by you or your employer)? Yes, you will likely have some benefit continuation rights (through COBRA or state continuation programs), but these benefits can be very expensive and the term limited. So, eventually, you either have to secure another job with benefits, an individual health plan (assuming you are insurable), or possibly join a government health insurance program for the uninsured (if you are not insurable). Let me emphasize, that you should NEVER be without some form of major medical health insurance. Being without this insurance puts you and your family in serious financial jeopardy. In fact, a recent Harvard University study found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses.ยน To the same point, every 30 seconds in the United States, someone files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem. Don’t let this happen to you.
Group health insurance premiums are rising faster than individual health insurance premiums. Why? Because most group plans are guaranteed issue and since they accept “all comers”, they tend to attract those with high medical costs. On the other hand, most individual health insurance plans are medically underwritten. This means that the insurance company can say “no thanks” to any application that it deems to not be in its interest. Put yourself in their shoes – would sign a contract to provide $30,000 in annual benefits to someone that was only going to pay $3,000 in premiums (for a net loss of $27,000) if you didn’t have to? Hmm…let me me think about that one. The answer is a resounding “NO!”. Because of this underwriting process for individual health insurance, insurance companies can control their risk and more effectively manage their profitability, resulting in more stable prices.

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Are The Elected Officials Aware Of The Wide Range Of Important Education Issues?

Public education is one of the most important institutions in our country, an institution in which the public has always played a role. It is the public who elects school board members, pays taxes to support public schools, votes for school bond referendum, and visits and volunteers in the schools. Public schools, in turn, transmit important values and information that help young people participate in our democracy and become responsible citizens. Clearly, education is important to all members of society given its impact on the community, the economy, jobs, safety, and health.

- The skill level of the population increases national productivity and leads to higher salaries.

- The better educated a person, the more likely that person is to report being in excellent or very good health.

- The more education a person has, the more likely that person is to be registered to vote and to actually vote.

- There is a strong relationship between the drop-out rate and crime among many young males

Many candidates are vocal about their support for public education, but voters can do a lot to ensure that elected officials are aware of the wide range of important education issues, and that they honor their commitment to education. This voter guide is designed to help voters focus on important education issues and ask political candidates and office holders informed questions.

Strong Public Education Candidates:

- Know about school reform and ways to improve public schools

- Know education policy; the federal, state, and local laws that govern public education; and the responsibilities of the desired office

- Make education a high priority in their political platform

- Solicit opinions and viewpoints from citizens through polling, town meetings, community conversations, and face-to-face discussions

- Have prior experience with public education policy

- Have a clear message about public education priorities

- Have a realistic funding plan to support public education improvements and ensure adequate resources for all schools

- Communicate who will be held accountable for student and school performance

Questions for Candidates

A quality public education requires the assurance of basic physical needs: shelter, nutrition, physical safety, sleep, and exercise. Quality education begins at an early age with the development of cognitive and social skills. A candidate who supports education will have a clear position on a wide range of health and other children’s issues.

- What proposals, if any, do you offer for public programs to support underserved children?

- What is your position on the value and importance of education?

- What are your top priorities for improving public education?

How well students achieve is only partly determined by students themselves. Schools play an important role, and elected officials at every level have some say in how schools are run and who is held responsible for student achievement. Strong education candidates understand the role their offices play in public education, and should be able to articulate what they will do to improve school quality.

- Who do you think should be responsible for ensuring that public schools operate effectively and children achieve?

- If elected, what responsibility and authority would you have for public education?

- What do you believe are the best ways to evaluate school and student performance?

- How would you evaluate teacher quality?

Most candidates for office support quality and improvement in public education, but their proposals for how to pay for public education vary widely. A strong education candidate should have developed a viable plan for school funding.

- What are your views on how much is spent on public education and whether this amount is adequate?

- What changes, if any, would you make to the existing education funding structure?

- What is your position on current pending court cases that would affect funding for education in the state?

- What programs and areas do you consider most vital and deserving of the highest protection from budget cuts?

- How would you fund the program and policy changes you are proposing?

- Do you have any tax proposals to offer for public school funding?

- Do you support generating funds for public education through taxes on liquor, tobacco, lotteries, casino gambling, slot machines, or through any other “sin” taxes or revenues?

- What is your position on bilingual education?

- Do you believe the amount spent for students classified as “special needs” is adequate? What changes would you make, if any, to support these students?

- What is your stance on school choice?

- What is your stance on the adequacy of school facilities?

About This Guide

This guide presents a list of questions that highlight the most pressing concerns and issues in education today. Public education is a leading issue in American politics. The information in this guide will inform voters about important education issues, and help voters determine a candidate’s stance on public education. There are many possible answers to the questions raised in this guide. No single answer is “correct”. The questions help identify the education decisions candidates will have to make if elected, and encourage voters to make ballot selections based on which candidates they believe have the strongest public education agenda. In the upcoming 2020 national election, voters will elect a president, vice president, 435 members of the US House of Representatives, and 35 US senators. In state elections, voters will elect governors, state house and senate members, and countless mayors, regents, city council members, boards of supervisors, county officials, and school board trustees.

Who Should Use This Guide?

Everyone! A free, public education is one of America’s most vital assets. Every member of society has an investment in a quality public school system. Good schools lead to strong economies, better jobs, less crime, and many other positive social outcomes. Education is an important responsibility for elected officials at all levels, and thus an important area to consider in every election. From the President of the United States to local school board members, making decisions about education is a critical part of the job. We hope this guide helps you make informed decisions about which candidates to support.

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Information About Online MBA in Operations Management

An online MBA in operations management makes you efficient enough to plan, develop, operate and manage a business and gives you the authority to take significant operational decisions in your organization. This degree, however, arms students with the knowledge and skills that helps them in managing large organization’s or companies’ ample resources, which are related to its employees, followed by proper utilization of all such resources in cost-effective manner. Furthermore, an online MBA in operations management, in particular makes individuals expert in supervising routine operations of an organization.In United States of America, you will find a number of accredited online universities and colleges that are offering MBA management degree programs online in various concentrations. Hence, one can opt among them to step in the domain providing successful career opportunities.If you are interested to pursue your career in this ever-expanding field then you should possess:Strong Strategic Planning skills
Strong Analytical skills
Clear understanding of Human Resource ManagementOther then this, holder of this degree, in the corporate world is expected to lead inter-departmental and cross functional project teams, in order to reduce or completely repetitive occurrence of similar work processes and procedures, as they consume a lot of time. Thus, to lead above mentioned teams, it is necessary for the candidate to possess strong leadership skills and must be capable to solve departmental and employee disputes.Moreover, companies require graduates, having degree either online MBA in operations management or have earned it via a campus based program. This is necessary, as they serve as a bridge between various departments in an organization to make transfer of information easy and even to make sure that the decisions are taken well on time.Those who opt to earn this degree, acquire expertise in project management, effective service operations and in analyzing operations strategy. During the program, students also gain knowledge of the modern operating system of the current business world, with its technical characteristics.An online MBA in this concentration, gives students clear understanding and knowledge of how to manage organization’s assets and employees, how a company or organization can maximize costs and various other related tasks involved in the operations management department.Being an operations manager, your task will also include implementing such policies and techniques that positively affect the company’s or organization’s business model followed by respective market and their customers, approaches like this mainly includes supply chain and inventory management. Thus, this degree will give your understanding of:How resources are properly allocated
Human resource management
How to select appropriate supply chain management approach among many of them
Establishment of well-defined work practices
Principles of static budget planning
Why departmental and company’s wide budgets are established
Employees’, departments’ and organization’s goals and objectivesThe course outline of an online MBA in operations management comprises of various courses, in which most of them are related to management principles and strategies. Although, the course outline varies, as different universities and colleges have a different course plan. Some of the most common courses included in an accredited online MBA in operations management are:Inventory and Supply Chain Management
Finance Management
Accounting
Production Planning and Control
Essential Operations Management
Strategic Planning
Human Resources
Organizational Behavior
Managerial Economics
Quality ControlCareers with an Online MBA in Operations Management With an online MBA in operations management, you get to further enhance your career and earn a living of your choice; moreover, you will hold a high level post in an organization or in a company to manage and direct global operations. This degree makes you capable enough that you can either work in a finance department, inventory management department, supply management department or in logistics department.By completing your online MBA in operations management, you can be appointed as:Regional Operations Manager
Director of Business Development
Director of Organizational Management
Manager of Investment Operations
Director of Operations
Organizational Effectiveness Manager
International Freight & Logistics Manager
Supply Chain Inventory Analyst
Service Operations Manager
Industrial Production Manager and many others.Hence, it can be said that an online MBA in operations management will open gates of lucrative career opportunities and therefore, earning this degree will greatly help in successfully attaining your career goals and educational goals.

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