Jay Hancock, a reporter for Kaiser Health News, asked me to post the following query. You may contact him at the e-mail address he provided. Or, you may forward material to me at jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com] and I'll pass it along to Hancock. Here's his note:
I’m working on a story about large employers moving to health plans with deductibles of $1,000 for individuals, $2,000 for families -- or much more. I’m compiling a list of companies that are going in this direction. It’s a big trend for Fortune 500 companies, but often they don’t want to talk about it. I’ve heard that at Gannett, high-deductible plans are the only choice. Gannett declines to comment. Could you please help me crowdsource this? I’d like to confirm that high-deductible plans are the only Gannett option. Ideally I’d like to see documents showing the whole menu of plan choices and stating what the deductibles are. My email is JayH@kff.org and my phone is 202-654-1328. Thanks.
I’m working on a story about large employers moving to health plans with deductibles of $1,000 for individuals, $2,000 for families -- or much more. I’m compiling a list of companies that are going in this direction. It’s a big trend for Fortune 500 companies, but often they don’t want to talk about it. I’ve heard that at Gannett, high-deductible plans are the only choice. Gannett declines to comment. Could you please help me crowdsource this? I’d like to confirm that high-deductible plans are the only Gannett option. Ideally I’d like to see documents showing the whole menu of plan choices and stating what the deductibles are. My email is JayH@kff.org and my phone is 202-654-1328. Thanks.
Isn't this a conflict of interest? We already use Kaiser news service for all the stories are former healthcare writers used to do.
ReplyDeleteShades of things to come from Mother Gannett.
ReplyDeleteQuit saying Mother Gannett.
ReplyDeleteMakes me feel like a muthafuck-ee.
will the resulting story run in USAT?
ReplyDeleteA better question: if it does, will they disclose the conflict?
Jay, people here don't understand how benefits work.
ReplyDeleteThat should be a sidebar to anything you write. There is a ton of evidence in the archives, if you can find it.
Jay, we have an opening for you at USA Today if you are under 25, can work for peanuts and grit your teeth for eight hours a day.
ReplyDelete7:08 don't go there. If reporters outside of Tyson's knew what you folks get paid you would have zero support. You may be many things but under paid ain't one!
ReplyDeleteEveryone will soon have free health insurance when the new healthcare plan kicks in. Free is good.
ReplyDeleteMore likely, Gannett will nix health care and just pay the $2k fine per employee.
ReplyDeleteOh wait, by the 2014 deadline, everyone will have been outsourced.
Problem solved!
9:30 every company in America will do the same. The government made it too attractive for a company to fund its own plan. Then you really have something to complain about.
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ReplyDeleteJim – It’s your blog, but please explain why you sacked a comment that professionally suggested Hancock should lead with how Obamacare basically rewards businesses to get out of providing health care to its employees (so it can) and that raising deductible is just a step towards that goal?
ReplyDeleteEven if you disagree with the premise, isn’t sacking it exposing your biases too? Or was it that I said he should really be given data to extrapolate the tens of millions Gannett would save annually if it did?
As someone who’s been a longtime fan and participant of this blog I’m really not impressed.
I'm trying to avoid politically partisan debates here.
ReplyDeleteAnd "Obamacare" is a loaded term that was initially coined by the GOP as a put-down. Although Obama has come to embrace that label, on this site it often leads to partisan bickering.
I'd rather use health reform law.
I understand Jim's point of view. It's unfortunate but the whole "Obamacare" moniker quickly degrades into partisan politics no matter if the Obama camp has turned the tables à la Yankee Doodle Dandy; I've seen it elsewhere. In fairness, I think Jim has his hands full as it is maintaining, or trying to maintain, this blog -- sometimes a losing battle, but in the aggregate successful.
ReplyDeleteKinda ironic that once I pay the United Healthcare insurance premium for retirees I have no money left for even a co-pay to see a doctor or buy necessary prescriptions. This is criminal.
ReplyDeleteIdeally I’d like to see documents showing the whole menu of plan choices
ReplyDelete