vivalaultra 0 Report post Posted August 16, 2007 So, I got a job teaching 8th and 10th grade English/Language Arts at a charter school here in Houston. I had the first of my many pre-school faculty meetings today, and I was happy to find out that I get free health care. The company that funds my charter school pays $300/month for employee health care and the state of Texas pays $75 a month for employee health care. The best health care package that I can get (being single with no children) costs $354/month. Ergo, I don't have to pay for it. And it's a pretty good plan, $500 deductible and an 80%/20% copay. $10 prescriptions. However, it's only medical. I'm on my own for dental. Still, it's good to know that I can go to the doctor if I need to; it's been a long time since I've had a physical...and this thing on the back of my neck isn't getting any smaller... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Red Baron 0 Report post Posted August 16, 2007 I just hope you don't have to wait in line like most of us Canadians have to do if you are in emergancy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest kkkgavemybabyaway Report post Posted August 16, 2007 Free health care is for hippies, commies, and Jews. We all need food to live, but the government doesn't give us free food, unless you're too lazy to work... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Soriano's Torn Quad Report post Posted August 16, 2007 Are you going to offer an independent study program on writing sentences with seventeen ellipses in them? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smartly Pretty 0 Report post Posted August 16, 2007 What's with high school english teachers being so young? My English teacher last year was 22. Pretty sure she was a pot head, too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vivalaultra 0 Report post Posted August 16, 2007 Are you going to offer an independent study program on writing sentences with seventeen ellipses in them? Yes...................................................I shall have to find some way to add it to my already excellent syllabus. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted August 17, 2007 I'm a teacher too and, not to brag, but my free health care is better than yours. I have vision and dental and my prescriptions are like $4. My copay is heli-low, too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Your Paragon of Virtue 0 Report post Posted August 17, 2007 Heli-low? Is that like one of those new hybrid helicopters? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted August 17, 2007 If you saw our income taxes, you wouldn't say we get free health care. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted August 18, 2007 Free health care is for hippies, commi... Uh, wha-? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vivalaultra 0 Report post Posted August 18, 2007 I'm a teacher too and, not to brag, but my free health care is better than yours. I have vision and dental and my prescriptions are like $4. My copay is heli-low, too. Yeah, my plan isn't all that great, but it's not terrible, and I'm not gonna complain about free health care, especially since this is the first job I've actually had that has a health care program. My plan does include vision, but the fact that I don't have dental does suck cuz I need some work done. And I was looking at my available options, and, with the money that's being paid for my health care, I could get the even better option, with no deductible and a better copay for about $85 a month. The good part is that I can add immediate family members to my plan for not too much money, and my Mom doesn't have insurance and doesn't really have the money to go to the doctor or get her eyes checked or anything and I wanna help her out with that if I can. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sideburnious 0 Report post Posted August 18, 2007 The canadian "free health care" is probably the same as what we have over here, where if you want the free health care, you're put on a waiting list for 2 years before anything happens. If you wan't service, you go private health care. It seems Vivi's health care is private but subsidised by the state, rather than actually government health care. I'd be envious of people getting dental coverage. I need to get some veneers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted August 19, 2007 Free health care is for hippies, commi... Uh, wha-? I'm sure this'll surprise anyone who knows where I stand on topics like this, but I'm strongly in favour of two-tier healthcare. If it eliminates wait times and generally makes things run more smoothly and efficiently, what's the harm? I don't know how easy it would be to implement, but I think, if nothing else, the extra money would also encourage more doctors to begin practising, or more to enter med school. There's a staggering number of immigrants with PhD's that can't practise for whatever reason - how many more doctors will we need in 15 or 20 years when the baby boomers start getting sick? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted August 19, 2007 Places with government healthcare already have a two-tier system. One for the politicians and one for their sheep. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scarlett_Rayne 0 Report post Posted August 19, 2007 What's with high school english teachers being so young? My English teacher last year was 22. Pretty sure she was a pot head, too. I started when I was 23. Honestly, it's to pay the bills for me until I can afford either a doctoral program or law school. I racked up too much debt in college and shortly there after. Plus, there's not much you can do with a history degree besides work as an archivist, in a museum, write a book or teach. My health care is somewhat similar, 80% 20%, 35 specialist copay, 10 normal copay, 3 tier drug coverage--10, 25, 50 (guess where all of my prescriptions fall under ) , deductible is kinda steep 1000 and that's cause i pay for the best plan our district has (an extra 50 out of pocket). dental an extra 25, vision an extra 10 I went with the extra $50 plan because my district decided to be political assholes and went with the insurance plan the local hospital was offering and I can subsequently only go to doctors on their network if I chose the free plan which is total bullshit because I live in a different city than my school district and their out of city coverage and network is nearly non-existent so I had to bump up to the PPO plan so I could go to a doctor out of their network in my city. BTW, I'm curious viva... What are they starting you at at the charter school? I'm looking to do the move to Houston hopefully next year so I'm curious to see what they offer as well as the districts in the area. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vigo 0 Report post Posted August 20, 2007 Free health care is for hippies, commi... Uh, wha-? I'm sure this'll surprise anyone who knows where I stand on topics like this, but I'm strongly in favour of two-tier healthcare. If it eliminates wait times and generally makes things run more smoothly and efficiently, what's the harm? I don't know how easy it would be to implement, but I think, if nothing else, the extra money would also encourage more doctors to begin practising, or more to enter med school. There's a staggering number of immigrants with PhD's that can't practise for whatever reason - how many more doctors will we need in 15 or 20 years when the baby boomers start getting sick? I think the fear is that the doctors will be more inclined to go after the "private tier" since they'll be able to make more cash that way. Also, the most likely result of going this route is that the best doctors will be "private tier" while the crappier or less experienced doctors will be there for the rest of the general public, so in essence the poor will be getting screwed over as usual. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smues Report post Posted August 20, 2007 BTW, I'm curious viva... What are they starting you at at the charter school? I'm looking to do the move to Houston hopefully next year so I'm curious to see what they offer as well as the districts in the area. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kkktookmybabyaway 0 Report post Posted August 20, 2007 I think the fear is that the doctors will be more inclined to go after the "private tier" since they'll be able to make more cash that way. Yeah because God forbid someone who spends year after year in med school tries to pursue a comfortable lifestyle afterward (my half-brother is a doctor and it's insane the amount of time and effort he has put into his chosen profession). Greater Good, Greater Good. And my workplace health plan is super -- as long as I don't expect them to cover anything. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vivalaultra 0 Report post Posted August 20, 2007 BTW, I'm curious viva... What are they starting you at at the charter school? I'm looking to do the move to Houston hopefully next year so I'm curious to see what they offer as well as the districts in the area. Significantly less than at traditional schools. Like, about $10,000/yr. less. Next year they're going to a salary schedule, so it should even up a bit. But, yeah, it's a pretty sizeable chunk less than I could make working in say...Houston ISD ($43,000/yr.) or Deer Park ISD ($48,000/yr). But, I like all of the freedom I get setting up my curriculum, so I'm not going to complain too much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheBigSwigg 0 Report post Posted August 20, 2007 Yeah because God forbid someone who spends year after year in med school tries to pursue a comfortable lifestyle afterward (my half-brother is a doctor and it's insane the amount of time and effort he has put into his chosen profession). Greater Good, Greater Good. I've been working for a Med School all summer. Most of the students come from a lifestyle WELL above comfortable, and I would LOVE to see them have to earn something for once. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Soriano's Torn Quad Report post Posted August 20, 2007 Yeah, fuck smart people. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheBigSwigg 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2007 Yeah, fuck smart people. You're assuming that they're smart. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Ol' Smitty 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2007 Are all English and Canadian doctors starving to death? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianGuitarist 0 Report post Posted August 21, 2007 My mother's making 45 a year, but she just started her residency. She's only 3 months out of med school, but told me she'd be making 'substantially' more money when she finished in two years. She made 78 as a nurse, so I assume what she'd make in 2 years is pretty close to six figures. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dubq 0 Report post Posted August 25, 2007 So, I got a job teaching 8th and 10th grade English/Language Arts at a charter school here in Houston. I had the first of my many pre-school faculty meetings today, and I was happy to find out that I get free health care. The company that funds my charter school pays $300/month for employee health care and the state of Texas pays $75 a month for employee health care. The best health care package that I can get (being single with no children) costs $354/month. Ergo, I don't have to pay for it. And it's a pretty good plan, $500 deductible and an 80%/20% copay. $10 prescriptions. However, it's only medical. I'm on my own for dental. Still, it's good to know that I can go to the doctor if I need to; it's been a long time since I've had a physical...and this thing on the back of my neck isn't getting any smaller... Our healthcare isn't free. We get our income taxed to hell in order to pay for it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanadianChris 0 Report post Posted August 27, 2007 Are all English and Canadian doctors starving to death? Only the dumb ones that are actually practicing in England and Canada. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
