Strike at Deere plants in the US, more supply chain shortage to come

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

It's just what it costs and costs very widely depending on geographic location.

My retired Union Butcher neighbor uses his entire pension check of 35 years to cover he and his wife in addition to Medicare... they are both in their 90's...

He doesn't want to loose the Union Plan.

Self employed with a family can be brutal.

This is why some have little sympathy for strikes after offers made and rejected.

That's terrible. I really had no idea.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

That sounds about right. My wife and I are self-employed & normally healthy. Mostly just annual checkups. For the last 30 years our combined premiums were right at $20K/yr. That doesn't include dental, eye, & hearing.
Premiums leaped about 2010 when so many health insurance companies folded. Ours did.
rScotty

That's insane! Now I understand why some of you don't blink an eye at purchasing a new tractor. A couple of years of that and you could easily afford to purchase a new tractor.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I kid you not. We're looking for alternatives now.

That just blows my mind. I really had no idea people were paying premiums like that.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

They will never leave because their skills do not match their pay.

Is that the secret to getting good help and building good culture within a company?

 

[Pixguy]

That just blows my mind. I really had no idea people were paying premiums like that.

It's the only reason we're still working. We don't usually reach our deductible and scripts are not included. My inhalers are about $460mo but I'm now starting to buy them from Canada and they'll lower to about $130mo.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

It's the only reason we're still working. We don't usually reach our deductible and scripts are not included. My inhalers are about $460mo but I'm now starting to buy them from Canada and they'll lower to about $130mo.

Man I feel for you. That's financially unsustainable.

 

[plowhog]

In my state we only have virtually one insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Offering insurance is highly regulated. I own property in two states. I cannot have a single insurance agency handle insurance for those properties. I need an agency in CA for those properties, a separate one in NV for those properties.

Same goes for vehicles. I have vehicles titled in multiple states. Even if you deal with a national company, such as Allstate, you are required to deal with different agencies for each state.

I previously employed people in many states simultaneously. We complied with all the complex payroll, HR, and workmen's comp regulations in each separate state. So------ why can't a large insurance company be allowed to do the same?

I see the downside to restricting insurance to within one state. I've yet to figure out the upside?????

 

[ruffdog]

More and more companies are cutting legacy costs and paid healthcare post retirement fits that description for this Deere strike. The proposal from Deere cut paid healthcare for people hired after 1997. The problem in the US is companies do this and nothing fills the void. Other countries have various types of single-payer healthcare to help cut costs but the US says competition between big corporations will fix everything. The US even limits getting drugs from Canada that would cut costs. It's fixed alright and we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as healthcare costs are concerned.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I see the downside to restricting insurance to within one state. I've yet to figure out the upside?????

It creates competition which leads to lower prices.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

More and more companies are cutting legacy costs and paid healthcare post retirement fits that description for this Deere strike. The proposal from Deere cut paid healthcare for people hired after 1997. The problem in the US is companies do this and nothing fills the void. Other countries have various types of single-payer healthcare to help cut costs but the US says competition between big corporations will fix everything. The US even limits getting drugs from Canada that would cut costs. It's fixed alright and we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as healthcare costs are concerned.

That's why I suggested going to a private payer system and getting rid of insurance companies. Then the consumer sets the prices and not the insurance companies and hospitals.