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Construction Worker Healthcare

Construction Workers Lack Health Insurance

Unless you have been in a dungeon for the last couple of years, you must be aware of the ongoing partisan battle in the U.S. Congress over quality affordable healthcare and insurance. The Republican party favors a piecemeal approach to the ever increasing cost of healthcare and health insurance and the Democrats favor a comprehensive approach. As a result when the Republicans were the majority they did little or nothing and when the democrats became the majority they bulldozed a plan into law that is ridiculously bloated, flawed, unaffordable and may even be unconstitutional. In the meantime fifty million(U.S. Census) Americans are without health insurance and only one illness away from bankruptcy or even death.

Study after study indicate that construction workers are the most likely segment of the nations workforce to be without health insurance. Merit shop workers are more likely to be uninsured than union workers and Hispanic worker are the most likely of all to be uninsured. One study found that 27 percent of construction workers were chronically uninsured for a year and more than 40 percent were uninsured at least part of the year. Periods of self employment, temporary employment, unemployment, lack of portability and high rates are often reasons for a disproportionate numbers of construction worker without health insurance. The main reason is that so many contractors do not furnish group insurance.

The competition among contractors is fierce. Companies that furnish health insurance for their employees are at a big disadvantage in the bidding process against those that do not. If all employers were required to furnish a standard level of protection the playing field would be much more level. With some exceptions employers are required to have workman's compensation insurance but it doesn't cover a lot of workplace related health problems. Injuries caused by repetitive motion, vibration, hazard material, minor strains, slips and falls are hard to prove and may not be a problem for months or years to come. Tradesmen and construction workers are at a higher risk for injury than most other workers.

What can be done? You could write to your congress members and let them know how you feel. A resounding declaration of what it will take to get reelected could possibly make an impact; But, in the end the best we can hope for is that we have elected the right people for the job and trust that they will make the right decisions under pressure from the big business of healthcare and insurance. Yea! Right!

Howard Watkins
BrassMeIn.com
Jan.2011

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