A question of insurance.

[ZEN!!!]

Hi,

I've been cooking the line for a little more than a year an a half part time (though I have usually averaged around 36 hours/wk)in addition to working a day job. I'm about to make the leap into cooking full time and I have a few questions about health insurance.

None of the guys in my kitchen have health insurance, yet family and friends keep urging me to get it an tell me that I need to have it in place before I even quit the day job. From a kitchen professional's standpoint, should I be spending the money on insurance, even though the rest of the guys in my kitchen don't? Do anyone have any tips on finding affordable health insurance? Is there any sort of pooled restaurant worker's insurance that I don't know of?

I have also considered the idea of getting a few lunch shifts at a big corporate kind of place to get insurance while continuing to work dinner shifts at my current independent restaurant. Does this sound like a good scenario to anyone?

Any help on this topic would be much appreciated.

Cheers.
ZEN!!!

[Greg]

Picking up a few shifts at a place that offers insurance probably won't work. Most places require full-time (32+ hours) to qualify for insurance. The only vaguely food-related company that offers insurance to part-time employees is Starbucks, I believe. There might be more out there, but it will take some looking.

[Cheech]

My advise, if you want to cook with full benefits, is to get a full-time job with either a chain resaurant or a large hotel chain. Both would offer health insurance, plus usually some other extra's to make you feel good about working there.

As far as if you should/shouldn't have health insurance, that's up to you. You have to ask yourself if you go to the doctor alot, do you have the money to pay for medical expenses that occur without insurance, etc. Me, I've alway's gone for the insurance because you never know what's going to happen...

[Jim]

An even scarier thought is this...
What if you break your leg?
There will be time lost from work, so no income and a medical bill that could run into the thousands. Its a sobering thought, but a major illness could cause you to go broke... fast.
I think, as you get older, insurance is not an option, rather a part of life.

[boosehound]

i have not had health insurance since college and i got to tell you.... IT SUCKS!!! a lot, for instance i cut myself this past winter, wasnt at work either that cost me $1,000 at ER and i was very ill for 3 weeks that was a few hundred in meds. i cant wait till i have a kitchen job that offers it ill stay their for a very long time, until then ill cope with my current illness.......

[eds77k5]

i strongly believe it is important to take advantage of any benefits your employer offers, in my own case, my wife's hospital bill was over 100k and my own was over 20k, if i were to add that to my wages i would be making big bucks, insurance has been a blessing. i know it is hard to see it because cooks wages are low to begin with but lets say you get 9 bucks an hour, that could be equivalent to 12 an hour with benefits, you dont see it in your paycheck, but it is there. best to take advantage of any bene offered. just my .02 cents for what its worth

[panini]

Zen,
At least look intosome sort of catistrophic insurance that will cover you in case of of long illness.
If you looked at my wife and I 15 yrs ago you woiuld say, those two would never be sick. Well, since then both of us have been diagnosed with cancer and our bills including a transplant for my wife has topped our maximum of 2 mill.

[ZEN!!!]

Wow,

I didn't expect to see so many responses. Thanks for all of your input.

I've been researching insurance and I've found that I can get basic medical & dental for $149/month, which would work out to just under $40 per paycheck. It doesn't sound quite as bad as I had thought, but I'm sure I'm just numbed by the fact that I've had the income of two jobs.

I'm not likely to quit working at my current restaurant to go full time at a corporate kitchen. I love the kitchen that I work in and I have a severe distaste for most things corporate after being a cubicle dweller for five years.

Y'all have given me a lot to think about. Again, any more advice on this topic would be much appreciated.

Cheers.
ZEN!!!

[blaire576]

Every year I seem to receive a notice that my health insurance premiums are going up. While this doesn't surprise me, the amount that it increases does shock me. Upon my next renewal, my quarterly payment will go up about $200. I am now paying more than twice what I originally paid when I first bought this policy about seven years ago, and I've even cut back on benefits significantly over the years. In seven years time, I'm paying more than double and receiving less coverage. I checked some quotes at oneshopinsurance.com and was able to check on several premiums I can afford.