Posted on 08/25/2021 7:35:19 AM PDT by Stravinsky
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian notified employees Wednesday that they will face $200 monthly increases on their health insurance premiums starting Nov. 1 if they aren't vaccinated against Covid-19, citing steep costs to cover employees who are hospitalized with the virus.
Unvaccinated employees will face other restrictions, including indoor masking effective immediately and weekly Covid-19 tests starting Sept. 12 the Atlanta-based airline said in announcing new Covid policies for employees.
The measures are the latest attempt by a U.S. corporation to drive up Covid vaccination rates. Delta stopped short of an outright mandate like rival United Airlines established earlier this month. The airline, which self insures its employees, stands out in its plans to raise premiums for unvaccinated workers to cover the higher costs of insuring employees who get Covid.
"The average hospital stay for COVID-19 has cost Delta $40,000 per person," Bastian said in an employee memo. "This surcharge will be necessary to address the financial risk the decision to not vaccinate is creating for our company. In recent weeks since the rise of the B.1.617.2 variant, all Delta employees who have been hospitalized with COVID were not fully vaccinated."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Tyranny is OK when it’s done by the private sector? At the direction of the Democrat party, who in turn do so expecting large payouts from Big Pharma?
Fascism is tyranny via a public/private partnership, in this case it is oligarchy-based (private control —> public sector). This is what you are supporting by your statement.
Partially free in this instance. Delta can do this because ERISA-governed, employer-funded health plans (usually only feasible for large employers) are exempt from the ObamaCare "community rating" requirements. Individual and group health insurance providers would not be able to do this.
I think every health insurer should be able to price their products as they see fit, which of course puts me at odds with the current Republican mainstream position of "protecting pre-existing conditions." But I object to large employers being exempt from a rule that applies to everyone else.
Almost all of the employees fall into two groups:
1. Young adults right out of college, up to age 25 (they stay on their parents' medical insurance plans until age 26).
2. Older retirees who are covered by Medicare and/or other retirement-based medical plans from their prior jobs.
I give someone like this a ton of credit for figuring out how to play a rigged game to his advantage.
I just lowered my travel costs by refusing to fly Delta ever.
Play Pfascist and pay the price.
“You pay higher rates if you smoke. I don’t see the issue.”
Alexander Hamilton was so right when he said, “People get the government they deserve.” You deserve this current government.
When when they start shutting off our cell service because we are not vaccinated you will be on this forum commenting “Start tour own phone company.”
Pathetic.
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Spot-on.
I won’t even address the flaws in poster’s comment except that apparently some are incapable of keeping up to speed on the topic of unvaccinated breakthrough COVID deaths.
I would add:
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
~Ben Franklin
Only fools think this attack on freedom and liberty is going to stop with “vaccines.” We are entering a totalitarian and apartheid society, some here are just too blind to see it.
Frightening to see this on Free Republic.
Embrace that fascism 'Dr' gas_bags.
Delta Airlines is one of the worst run companies in the country. I know from experience.
Good. They should be. Why should i be subsidizing people who don’t take care of themselves?
Doesn’t “prevent” Covid. But reduces the chances you will end up in the hospital. Which is extremely expensive.
Darn. Correct.
LOL! Great breakdown of the numbers:)
Corporate fascist toadies are never very bright and they have a love of punishment and coercion. Sad.
“Wait till the fatties start complaining when you get better rates for being in shape”
I worked for a major oil company that did biannual health screenings for their self insured plans. You had the option to not take insurance from the company, or refuse to participate in the screenings which would automatically put one in the high risk insurance group if you chose to take coverage from the company. That high-risk group was $200 per month per person higher. If you took the screenings and failed 3 of 5 metrics you were put in the high risk insurance group with a $100 per month increase for 6 months then if you improved in one of the 3 failed you kept the $100 increase if you didn’t improve at least one then the rate jumped to the full $200 per month. In addition to this monthly hair test for drugs were mandatory one of the drugs that was tested for was nicotine if you were positive that was another $150 per month increase this test was not optional as the hair was being collected anyways for narcotics testing.
The five metrics were:
BMI over 30
Cholesterol over the healthy limit for your age/ sex group.
Triglycerides over 180
Blood sugar over 100
Waist line over 40 inches for men I forgot what it was for females.
Fail any 3 of those and it’s high risk insurance group for you.
Our plans were platinum level , $275 deductible, 80/20 co insurance up to an out pocket Max of $5000 and a 5 million limit on care. Nearly everyone took insurance from the company and we had a 98% compliance rate for screenings. It was $110 per month for individual employees as our premium.
Yeah, maybe your rates SHOULD be higher if you don’t get a colonoscopy. Especially since its free under many insurance plans.
Fascinating thread. Conservatives are usually big proponents of the free market and individual responsibility. Until it comes to socialist corporate health plans, which they suddenly think should be the same for everyone.
Wow, we found the liberal! Someone who uses the term “fascism” for anything they disagree with.
A corporation can’t be “fascist” genius. You don’t want their health care? Then don’t buy it. In fact, you don’t like the job? Then leave. The job market is red hot right now.
Its called the free market. Conservatives used to like it...
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