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Reg2view

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Manufacturers I work, including suppliers to poo and BRP, see no end to the domestic employee shortage - just drug screens alone squeeze the applicant pools down by at least 50% - all see more automation (longer-term, and usually requires some product redesign) and imported foreign labor via temporary visas (near-term) as partial solutions. With universal basic income rolling out (disguised as the child tax credit - this is real and will become permanent), all the other welfare/transfer payments, and government-provided healthcare, the need to work to live is being removed. We will see an increase in non-US production again - back to the future.
 

GoBigParts

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Manufacturers I work, including suppliers to poo and BRP, see no end to the domestic employee shortage - just drug screens alone squeeze the applicant pools down by at least 50% - all see more automation (longer-term, and usually requires some product redesign) and imported foreign labor via temporary visas (near-term) as partial solutions. With universal basic income rolling out (disguised as the child tax credit - this is real and will become permanent), all the other welfare/transfer payments, and government-provided healthcare, the need to work to live is being removed. We will see an increase in non-US production again - back to the future.
Yes, the few or only people I know taking advantage of those programs and choosing not to work wouldn't cut it in a 40 hour a week plus job anyway. We're better off without them. I don't know all the solutions but makes you wonder how other countries that do offer health care such as Canada, Norway, etc manage? Also what kind of wages are companies offering where people find it better to live off these gov. Programs?

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Teth-Air

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Yes, the few or only people I know taking advantage of those programs and choosing not to work wouldn't cut it in a 40 hour a week plus job anyway. We're better off without them. I don't know all the solutions but makes you wonder how other countries that do offer health care such as Canada, Norway, etc manage? Also what kind of wages are companies offering where people find it better to live off these gov. Programs?

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In Canada our wages are higher but we are taxed higher to pay for the social programs. The result is we have no more money and our industries can't compete in a world wide market due to labour costs. Also a $15 minimum wage makes all things we buy more expensive as the corner store has to put the prices up to make it through payday. Although we are never worried about the cost of going to see a doctor or a trip to the hospital. The bigger issue is long wait times for surgeries.
 

GoBigParts

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In Canada our wages are higher but we are taxed higher to pay for the social programs. The result is we have no more money and our industries can't compete in a world wide market due to labour costs. Also a $15 minimum wage makes all things we buy more expensive as the corner store has to put the prices up to make it through payday. Although we are never worried about the cost of going to see a doctor or a trip to the hospital. The bigger issue is long wait times for surgeries.
So what's your tax rate? Our Taxes seem high but lower than yours but the add $12,000- 20,000 a year for medical insurance it probably much closer than you think.

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Sheetmetalfab

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……..
So what's your tax rate? Our Taxes seem high but lower than yours but the add $12,000- 20,000 a year for medical insurance it probably much closer than you think.

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Who’s paying 12-20k a year for health insurance?

There’s some value to “making a statement” or “paying your own way” but i’m ok with taking advantage of whatever BS programs are available.

I’m spending $67 a month for health insurance.

Yes it is subsidized based on income, kids and all that crap.

If those who work are paying for everything you might as well keep a little piece of what you are paying in?

Don’t let all the worthless members of society make off with all the treasury based on some altruistic notion………
 

Teth-Air

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So what's your tax rate? Our Taxes seem high but lower than yours but the add $12,000- 20,000 a year for medical insurance it probably much closer than you think.

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  • 15% on the first $49,020 of taxable income, plus
  • 20.5% on the next $49,020 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income over 49,020 up to $98,040), plus
  • 26% on the next $53,939 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income over $98,040 up to $151,978), plus
  • 29% on the next $64,533 of taxable income (on the portion of taxable income over 151,978 up to $216,511), plus
  • 33% of taxable income over $216,511
But we have a carbon tax, 5% federal sales tax and most provinces have their own provincial sales tax so add 10% to those above numbers to get a better idea.
 

Teth-Air

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There are other considerations most don't realize. Canada is a bigger country than USA but with 10% of the population. This results in a smaller population that needs to pay for infrastructure such as roads and bridges and airports etc. that is spread all over the country. This is expensive.
We also import much of our products from the US because we don't have big enough markets with certain products that make it worth-while to produce. And with our dollar being valued at only $.80 compared to the USA dollar right now, we have to jack up the selling prices here to pay for the exchange rate. Sorry for taking your thread sideways.
 

GoBigParts

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Who’s paying 12-20k a year for health insurance?

There’s some value to “making a statement” or “paying your own way” but i’m ok with taking advantage of whatever BS programs are available.

I’m spending $67 a month for health insurance.

Yes it is subsidized based on income, kids and all that crap.

If those who work are paying for everything you might as well keep a little piece of what you are paying in?

Don’t let all the worthless members of society make off with all the treasury based on some altruistic notion………
Wow that is a steel. So you only pay $67 a month regardless of going to the doctor or anything? No co-pays, no decutables you need to reach? No 80/20 you need to pay if you have a procedure done? Maybe your young and single and never go to the doctor? Or maybe you haven't added up the real costs other than what deducted from from your pay check. I work for a medium size fortune 500 company and I am on the high deductable plan. I pay for a family plan. I pay around $75 or more every 2 weeks. Then I put another $75 every 2 weeks in my HSA. I am a healthy guy. My kids were born prematurely and because of that have meds and medical visits through out the year. So HSA usually gets depleted by the end of the year with copays and scripts. Any emergency visits are on our dime until we meet a $7500 dollar deductable for the family. This is not uncommon for insurance. Its the biggest cost most employers have in their business and ours pays millions to offer and administer it. But yet it costs us the employee a bunch just to have it. It goes up every year. I remember my first real job. I think my insurance cost me like $13 a month.
 

Sheetmetalfab

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Wow that is a steel. So you only pay $67 a month regardless of going to the doctor or anything? No co-pays, no decutables you need to reach? No 80/20 you need to pay if you have a procedure done? Maybe your young and single and never go to the doctor? Or maybe you haven't added up the real costs other than what deducted from from your pay check. I work for a medium size fortune 500 company and I am on the high deductable plan. I pay for a family plan. I pay around $75 or more every 2 weeks. Then I put another $75 every 2 weeks in my HSA. I am a healthy guy. My kids were born prematurely and because of that have meds and medical visits through out the year. So HSA usually gets depleted by the end of the year with copays and scripts. Any emergency visits are on our dime until we meet a $7500 dollar deductable for the family. This is not uncommon for insurance. Its the biggest cost most employers have in their business and ours pays millions to offer and administer it. But yet it costs us the employee a bunch just to have it. It goes up every year. I remember my first real job. I think my insurance cost me like $13 a month.

Nothing deducted from my check.
It’s a plan for only my family. (Through the “exchange”)

Wife and 5 kids.

$500 deductible per person
$700 deductible family.

90-10 copay after that.

Maximum out of pocket $6500 yearly for catastrophic events.

All of this is irrelevant because your original statement was “12-20k for medical insurance”
 

GoBigParts

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Nothing deducted from my check.
It’s a plan for only my family. (Through the “exchange”)

Wife and 5 kids.

$500 deductible per person
$700 deductible family.

90-10 copay after that.

Maximum out of pocket $6500 yearly for catastrophic events.

All of this is irrelevant because your original statement was “12-20k for medical insurance”
My statement includes medical issues for average family as well with scripts because that is part of the cost.

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meathooker

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Who’s paying 12-20k a year for health insurance?

There’s some value to “making a statement” or “paying your own way” but i’m ok with taking advantage of whatever BS programs are available.

I’m spending $67 a month for health insurance.

Yes it is subsidized based on income, kids and all that crap.

If those who work are paying for everything you might as well keep a little piece of what you are paying in?

Don’t let all the worthless members of society make off with all the treasury based on some altruistic notion………

almost everyone's insurance costs 12-20k/yr ... its just a matter if you see it or not.

If you pay $67/mo your employer is paying the vast majority of it

our union employees dont pay anything out of pocket but we pay approx $16k on their behalf.

office guys pay $160-200/mo but we pay another $13k a year on back end on their half.
 

Sheetmetalfab

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almost everyone's insurance costs 12-20k/yr ... its just a matter if you see it or not.

If you pay $67/mo your employer is paying the vast majority of it

our union employees dont pay anything out of pocket but we pay approx $16k on their behalf.

office guys pay $160-200/mo but we pay another $13k a year on back end on their half.

I’m a business owner…….

You guys are just doing it wrong……..

I used to pay that much but not anymore.

Our guys average $50 - $220 a month depending on the number of dependents.

That’s why i said “the exchange” as in the healthcare exchange…….

At least there’s something worth taking advantage of coming from the democrats………
 
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GoBigParts

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The other problem I see everyone talk about is: I could retire today if I could afford healthcare. When you retire from most companies your on your own. You can go with cobra but still expensive. At least at a certain age Medicaid kicks in which is a government program. Without it most retired people would be going broke if they see health issues.
 

Reg2view

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FWIW. It's Medicare that kicks in at age 65 - you have to register for it when you turn 65, or you're penalized. Doesn't cover everything, either, e.g., nursing care, pharma. Medicaid is for low/no income, (or minimum assets in the case of nursing care). COBRA is high ("full") cost, and limited time coverage.

Early retirees, pre-Medicare, can qualify for subsidized healthcare on the US exchanges, regardless of assets or saving, provided all your interest/dividend income doesn't bust you out. In other words, there are also many pre-Medicare millionaire retirees in the US on the exchanges, living off withdrawals, interest income, maybe some form of SSA. All financial planners, like Fidelity, know and assist with figuring this out. The vast majority of those millionaires paid serious income and FICA taxes before they retired.
 
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