Ford Says It Now Costs Over $17,500 A Year To Insure Each Hourly Worker

Those figures are completely crazy. But it is the USA. A for-profit healthcare system is what is behind these costs as well as the power of the insurance and drug lobby who will do whatever it possibly can to prevent a government run health care system looking after the 1/2 of Americans who are not presently covered by government health care. The last time I worked as an independent consultant I think I could get a single coverage plan for items outside of OHIP (dentist, glasses, single hospital room, drugs, physio, rehab, LTD, etc)for $230/mth. It can be different if you want it to be.

The cost of world class benefits

Agent009 - there is no world class benefits if you can afford one.

Colecole - one is a necessity and one is not

Obamacare drove costs UP not down.

Healthcare cost has been going up every single year.Period. Obamacare has not did not drive the cost up. Show me when the health care cost has gown down in your era?

@oxavier Agreed, that is why so many folks come from North of The Border to get expedient medical attention, be it surgery or other treatments. Canada is good for beer and Corner Gas though.

@T- That is the myth the insurance/drug lobby wants you to believe and is perpetuated by those in the US Congress that have their funding provided by these companies. Here is the truth that runs counter to the myths..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVX3vm7elHI

To Canadian Comments, just now by chance a Canadian friend of mine who is sitting in her mother's doctor's office in Nova Scotia posted on Facebook a picture of a sign hanging in the waiting room. It states "THE DOCTOR WILL ADDRESS ONE MAJOR ISSUE OR TWO MINOR ISSUES PER VISIT." WTF Government rationing at its worst if you ask me.

Lets end the talk of national health care once and for all. Love my country but cannot name one government agency that is run properly with the exception of the military (at best)...the Post Office, the IRS, the FBI (sadly has succumbed), the Justice dept., Social security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc...don't think so.

I seriously doubt we will ever have ONE PAYER national health care in the USA - whether it is Medicare for all or something similar. While the overall Total of paid healthcare policies could cover the costs - that would reduce health care to the lowest common denominator. I might see a "base" coverage - allowing people and companies to add to it for various reasons - or even have their own - much more like the current system.

AS far as the government - it has been saddled over the years with the pet projects of so many different politicians - most of which are simply boat anchors - that is a miracle anything gets done. Even the current president wants to rebuild the Berlin Wall - near our southern border. But that is the price you pay for the freedoms of our system -and I do not see that many other systems doing much better.

My company has no where near the number of employees as FORD does - but our Medical costs - with similar coverage - is no where near that figure.

TomM said: My company has no where near the number of employees as FORD does - but our Medical costs - with similar coverage - is no where near that figure.

Rick said: Could be that Ford is crying wolf to try and get concessions from the union. Just my speculation and yes, I could be wrong.

Our medical costs are astronomical but nowhere near $17.5K.

Maybe it is high time for Ford to change its insurance carrier.

The socialist Democrat party is promising totally free health care and a free obama phone. All they want in return is your soul and your vote.

I wonder how the socialist Venezuela people are enjoying their free health care and free cell phone as they starve to death in the dark.

Ford is a UAW company. Whatever the UAW negotiates for benefits (healthcare, retirement, vacation etc) becomes that standard for all employees not just the union. The UAW's benefits are "Cadillac" plans, very comprehensive without copays, deductions, etc. ergo expensive. Hence Ford's costs. Even retirees get all this years after they've stopped working.