Health Insurance - An Unaccounted-for Workforce Cost

Drawing conslusions: What do these data mean?

The consequences of not funding agencies to meet these increased costs were described above, in terms of diminished service capacity and pressures to increase the size of residential facilities, to cope with budgetary pressures.

Certainly, other consequences of employees not being insured through plans offered by agency employers are also clear. The chart on participation in Dungarvin's plans shows that participation of eligible employees has actually declined for the last four years, from 68% to 57%.

When an uninsured person needs health care, less expensive interventions that might prevent a serious health care problem are not used. Therefore, when an uninsured person needs services, it is usually during a health care emergency, which is generally more costly than routine medical care, as it takes place in emergency rooms versus a physician's office.

Who pays for this costly care? The people needing the care can be driven into bankruptcy by high medical bills. When this happens, we all pay for it, through the increased premiums we pay to cover services offered to the uninsured who are unable to pay for the services themselves.

We also pay for the lack of affordable health insurance through our taxes. Many times, when an employee examines the costs of Dungarvin's family insurance, they decide it is not affordable. If their family income qualifies them, they may apply for Badger Care, which is subsidized by tax dollars to help uninsured families get the protection they need.

Lastly, as employee benefits become more costly, and agencies are not able to assist employees in being able to afford them, with additional pay, the pool of available employees begins to shrink. As fewer people stay on the job, or are attracted to the job, service quality diminishes. Employees burn out working longer hours to cover vacant shifts and employers become more willing to accept job applicants with fewer skills, poorer reading abilities, etc., just to cover vacant shifts.

Something needs to change, to help community agencies address these serious issues involving the workforce and economic justice.

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