I love reading blogs and message boards. Human ignorance is troubling. A poster had commented that health care costs were out of control. His assertion was based on his perception that in this economy his employer provided health care insurance had the audacity to raise their rates 30%. He knew this because he now had to pay $100 a month instead of $75. I am sure his emplyer provided the standard, with the rising costs of health insurance we unfortunately have to increase your portion of your health insurance costs, letter.

What I find troubling is that so few people see the "your portion". Yes folks your employer generally picks up the greater portion of the costs. If you are only paying $100 a month for coverage you are paying less than 25% of your insurance cost for a single insured.

He said soon it would be cheaper to buy private insurance. No dude it is already cheaper to buy private insurance because you are pooled with people of the same health and age as you instead of Joe Big Mac down the hall and grandpa who should have retired 20 years ago when he turned 100. You just don't see the hidden costs. Hidden costs that are in fact part of your wages.

Which brings me back to his pay cut. Lets see, budget is tight, you have to either cut pay or cut benefits. Niether will sit well with your employees. Along comes our great president (who admits he doesn't know jack about economics) with Obamacare and the media's compulsion to report, well nothing that could possibly help anyone understand the situation. Businesses can cut your wages apparently without you even knowing it by shifting more of the cost to the employee.

Simple math really. Say you make $25,000 a year in visible income and $6,000 a year in health benefits. You make $31,000 a year. So your employer shifts $100 a month of your health costs over to you. You just lost $1,200 a year and now make $29,800. Even better you are pissed at this straw man our government has created for your 4% decrease in wages.

Well at least that will make it easier to except no raises this year due to the economy. Meh, I guess it is best to ignore the fact that no raise equals decrease in real wages equal to the current rate of inflation.

Have a great day!