Visual effects crews at Walt Disney Studios have taken a significant step to unionize after filing with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for an election to unionize. A supermajority (over …
My wife’s total insurance bill this year (union) for the full family is $390/month (full family) for the most expensive and inclusive plan. Deductable is $1500 for the family. They also have a fully sponsored HSA of $2K/year to cover these costs and the option for and FSA.
Our total out of pocket expense for this year will be around $7k.
Last year we where on my insurance through a non-union company.
$1350/month, $4K deductable, and $7600 HSA funded by me. Total cost for insurance last year was around $24K.
Most of our medical costs are for my wife’s medication for a chronic illness that costs $75k per year. Don’t get me started on how hard it is to get the bastards to pay for it every year. I spend on average 6 weeks every spring to get the insurance to authorize paying for the drug
Its also often complete garbage as well. It costs an additional several hundred dollars a paycheck for limited coverage and a high deductible (even if its not technically a high deductible plan).
Not all jobs offer insurance, no. Only larger companies have to.
In my years of work, I think I’ve pretty much run the gamut of insurance experiences.
My current position (non-union) offers pretty good health insurance that is sponsored by my employer, but I’ve worked other (non-union) jobs in the past that had no insurance offerings whatsoever, and at that time I had to obtain insurance through the marketplace which sucked.
I’ve also had insurance provided by the state (not great, not terrible), insurance provided by a union job, and also on a nationalized government healthcare plan while living abroad (which I luckily never had to use).
In the US, it’s just such a mixed bag. My current insurance is substantially better than the insurance I had through my old union, and even some of the marketplace plans offered broader coverage on paper. The union plan was among the most affordable for sure, but there were only a couple packages available and both had fairly limited coverage.
The problem is simply the existence of a market for insurance in the first place. With the ACA, large employers must offer insurance that is affordable for the majority of their employees, but there is no stipulation that the insurance be good, and many people who are worse off end up paying substantially more out of pocket as a result, which still leads people to bankruptcy. Unions have it harder when forced to negotiate with both the employer and the insurance company on trying to secure the best deal for the employees because neither want to let unions have their way.
It’s maybe different for VFX, but I think for writers and actors, because the work is so erratic anyway and 'cos studios are trying to turn everything into a gig rather than a job, the WGA and SAG are ultimately the main providers.
That and you might not work more than a few months at a single company even if you’re employed all year. Getting insurance through the union ensures you’ll actually be able to have insurance while you’re working. And I’m not sure this is true across all Hollywood unions, but I think it’s typical to have a “bank” of hours you’ve worked that count towards insurance coverage even if you’re unemployed for a bit.
correct, if your employer offers anything good. even if they do offer anything, it means losing employment and being sick could get costly if not terminal.
Isn’t that something they get through insurance that they get through their jobs?
if their job offers it, but desepration and exploitation mean they dont always have to to hire people
If you want a comparison for at my current company:
Insurance through what my union negotiated with my company is about $90/mo for dental/vision/medical. $200 annual deductible on medical.
Insurance from my company if I had a non-union position here is $300-400/mo. $1000 annual deductible on medical
This is for a single person btw.
My wife’s total insurance bill this year (union) for the full family is $390/month (full family) for the most expensive and inclusive plan. Deductable is $1500 for the family. They also have a fully sponsored HSA of $2K/year to cover these costs and the option for and FSA.
Our total out of pocket expense for this year will be around $7k.
Last year we where on my insurance through a non-union company.
$1350/month, $4K deductable, and $7600 HSA funded by me. Total cost for insurance last year was around $24K.
Most of our medical costs are for my wife’s medication for a chronic illness that costs $75k per year. Don’t get me started on how hard it is to get the bastards to pay for it every year. I spend on average 6 weeks every spring to get the insurance to authorize paying for the drug
Jesus that is insane.
Yes, meaning that employers have their workers by the balls since losing your job means losing healthcare.
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You should get a plan though healthcare.gov or your states alternative.
Even if it’s a high deductible plan it could save you from financial problems.
Its also often complete garbage as well. It costs an additional several hundred dollars a paycheck for limited coverage and a high deductible (even if its not technically a high deductible plan).
Not all jobs offer insurance, no. Only larger companies have to.
In my years of work, I think I’ve pretty much run the gamut of insurance experiences.
My current position (non-union) offers pretty good health insurance that is sponsored by my employer, but I’ve worked other (non-union) jobs in the past that had no insurance offerings whatsoever, and at that time I had to obtain insurance through the marketplace which sucked.
I’ve also had insurance provided by the state (not great, not terrible), insurance provided by a union job, and also on a nationalized government healthcare plan while living abroad (which I luckily never had to use).
In the US, it’s just such a mixed bag. My current insurance is substantially better than the insurance I had through my old union, and even some of the marketplace plans offered broader coverage on paper. The union plan was among the most affordable for sure, but there were only a couple packages available and both had fairly limited coverage.
The problem is simply the existence of a market for insurance in the first place. With the ACA, large employers must offer insurance that is affordable for the majority of their employees, but there is no stipulation that the insurance be good, and many people who are worse off end up paying substantially more out of pocket as a result, which still leads people to bankruptcy. Unions have it harder when forced to negotiate with both the employer and the insurance company on trying to secure the best deal for the employees because neither want to let unions have their way.
It’s maybe different for VFX, but I think for writers and actors, because the work is so erratic anyway and 'cos studios are trying to turn everything into a gig rather than a job, the WGA and SAG are ultimately the main providers.
That and you might not work more than a few months at a single company even if you’re employed all year. Getting insurance through the union ensures you’ll actually be able to have insurance while you’re working. And I’m not sure this is true across all Hollywood unions, but I think it’s typical to have a “bank” of hours you’ve worked that count towards insurance coverage even if you’re unemployed for a bit.
correct, if your employer offers anything good. even if they do offer anything, it means losing employment and being sick could get costly if not terminal.