Don't Get Sick!- Health care in the work place

Q. My job has horrible health care. How do I convince management to change the health care carrier?

A. You have a right to be concerned about the health care you are provided. But, did you know that 46.6 million people do not have insurance? Therefore, start by being thankful that you work for a company that provides some type of health care no matter how awful it is.

Here are the issues:

Health care is a big issue, it costs more each year and you get less coverage. Trust me when I say that Management puts a lot of thought into the health care they provide for their employees. They consider costs to the business, what is affordable for their employees, and what they think will make their employees happy.

Here are some reasons they probably choose this particular policy: they have had this provider for a long time and do not want to disrupt employees who will have to switch doctors, it is cost effective, they have a great relationship with the representative (this is very likely), and they obviously think it is a good policy. Needless to say, management does not always make decisions that make workers happy. You have several options:

1) Go out on your own and get your own policy – you can Google health insurance and you will get plenty of options

2) Talk to management - But, girl, I am not sure this is a fight that you want to start. It all depends on the company, and your relationship with management. – I will give you some tips in a minute

3) Unionize – health care can be used as one of the bargaining tools ( This may not be an option, but I would not recommend it even it is)

If you want to talk with Management then here are some steps to take:

· Do some investigative reporting- get to know everything there is to know about your policy. Find the HR person in your company that is the expert and ask them to explain it all – you may want to take them out to lunch to soften them up. You never know when you will need their help. You should be ready to field any question about the policy.

Also, research the different options available. There are some options like Health Savings Accounts, tax advantaged financial accounts, attached to high-deductible health plans that people can use to cover their medical bills and save for medical costs. Or choose a higher deductible plan that gives you more freedom but passes some more cost on to you.

· Don’t complain- Be part of the solution, not the problem. Once you do your research, present possible solutions to the proper person in Human Resources. Management views people who complain as a problem and if you are seen as complaining then they will not be receptive to what you have to say. The main objective is to get your way, so if you are viewed as the complainer, find someone else to do the talking for you.

In your presentation make sure you point out the differences, but don’t trash the current policy, just show how the new one is better. Some key points you will want to address are: how it will save the company money, offers more options & better coverage, and improves employee morale.

· Find people you trust- Don’t let everyone know what you plan to do. You do not want to be met with opposition before you are ready. Find a few (well respected) people that you can trust as allies to help you accomplish. Ideally you want influential people who you already have an established relationship with to help you. One of the best people you can have as a resource is someone in Human Resources.

Changing anyone’s mind is difficult; your approach will make all the difference. Keep in mind that if your organization is large the change is going to be much harder and take longer. I am sure that you have learned the value of investigating the health care policy before you accept the position. I have to warn you to not lock horns with management if you want to continue to climb the corporate ladder. Also, if you don’t want to put in all the work then you should start looking for another job.

I hope this helps!

Resources:

U.S. News- November 6, 2006 – Best U.S. Health Plans or ww.usnews.com/healthplans