I remeber a skit from the David Letterman show that featured Bill Murray. Bill would go up to people on the street, put his arm around them, look around to make sure that no one was eavesdropping, then ask the person if they "would prefer a hard punch in the stomach, or a swift kick in the butt? Your choice." Bill Murray is a comedy genius, so the skit was rather funny. The insurance company that provides the healthcare coverage for my employer pulled a similar stunt yesterday. But it was not nearly as funny as the one that appeared on David Letterman.
The "hard punch in the stomach, swift kick in the butt" version from our insurance provider was in the form of us being able to re-new the plan we currently have, however it would mean a 76% increase in my contribution to the plan - the punch in the stomach option. The swift kick in the butt option was to select a plan with a higher deductible, higher co-payment for doctor's office visits, reductions in other benefits, etc., with my contribution increasing by "only" 48%. My employer selected the swift kick in the butt option. Adding to the pain of the swift kick in the butt is the fact that wages have been stagnant, well more like a dry creek bed, because raises have been frozen for almost two years.
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