Health insurance and medical care loom so large in our lives today. Maybe I?m just projecting ? but I don?t think so; I think a good chunk of the population spends some non-trivial amount of time worrying about this issue. Prices on insurance keep rising; prices on medical care keep rising; and, it seems like ? actual health consequences aside ? we?re Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God; only instead of the pit of hell, it?s financial ruin.
Their foot shall slide in due time. Deuteronomy 32:35.
Anyway, the latest waymarker on this forced march is reflected in the City of Richmond?s efforts to grapple with its budget. Its proposal:
The city of Richmond?s administration plans to carve out spouses from health insurance coverage for city employees for the 2012 budget.
City director of human resources Sue Roberson told the Richmond Common Council that that is the administration?s plan in moving forward with preparation of next year?s budget.
. . .
The plan would combat increases in health insurance costs for the city that are expected to climb by 21 percent in 2012.
Among other things, we need to disassociate health care from employment. It?s bad for employers and, I think, it?s bad for employees. It?s probably bad for the economy as well if, for example, employees that could better use their skills elsewhere or go out on their own as entrepreneurs are discouraged from doing so because they are chained to health care benefits their employers increasingly begrudge them.
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