richierich
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posted on January 2, 2003 12:41:02 PM new
Well, either yesterday or today, ebay was to announce the pricing of the health plan available to powerseller.
Have you seen anything? I can't find it.
Thanks,
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replaymedia
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posted on January 2, 2003 05:24:00 PM new
Details are supposed to be released this month, but I don't think anyone gave a specific date.
I'm hoping this will be a great new benefit, but I'm not holding my breath...
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LivnLovnLaffn
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posted on January 3, 2003 08:10:43 PM new
Hi, RR
If you check the powersellers' page you'll find a link to the new health insurance details. Quite honestly, I was not impressed. Good luck!
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kiara
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posted on January 3, 2003 08:18:07 PM new
See the link below instead.
[ edited by kiara on Jan 5, 2003 05:12 PM ]
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nanntique
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posted on January 3, 2003 09:32:32 PM new
I checked that link, but only found a 'boilerplate' overview statement.
Are the details somewhere to be found ?, as I do not find anything to 'click-on' to get the detailed information.
NEVER MIND, I FOUND IT............
-------------------------------------------
Invest in the Future, by saving some of the Past!
[ edited by nanntique on Jan 3, 2003 09:58 PM ]
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kiara
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posted on January 3, 2003 09:38:00 PM new
Sorry, it may be this one?
http://pages.ebay.com/services/buyandsell/powerseller/healthcareportal.html
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Reamond
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posted on January 3, 2003 10:44:45 PM new
What a joke. The insurance is no different than the individual policies you can purchase from your local insurance agent.
I wonder how much eBay is making off this set up. I'll bet eBay is either getting a lump sum or a cut from every policy.
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kolonel22
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posted on January 4, 2003 06:46:37 AM new
No wonder there hasn't been any fan fair rolling out this program. It is nothing more or less than you can get on your own calling any number of brokers in your local phone book.
Even using the "short form" to qualify is going to be difficult for many people and without the advantage of a group policy they don't stand a chance....
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stacyp
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posted on January 5, 2003 04:36:24 PM new
i am sent emails from ebay to join powersellers monthly - but have never done so ...
thought maybe with the "benefit " of "reduced cost insurance" would make sense to join the group...
when i click on the link- i see only the boiler plate - i can't see the auctual benefits of the plan and the cost for the insurance... maybe because i don't have powerseller number to enter to proceed?
any help appreciated
as to cost of plan for 1 , 2 or family of 4 and what you get at what cost
thanks
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on January 5, 2003 05:05:42 PM new
stacyp: Marsh is not providing specifics, probably because the plans as described sound horrendous enough already.
Many of us won't qualify for Major Medical, which requires a medical history screening.
Here's a blurb from the "Discount Prescription Drug Plan":
One person pays $24.95 per month, a "family" pays $44.95.
Generic prescription copays for ages 0-49 are $10, over age 50 it's $15.
Brand name prescription drugs "up to" 50% off retail.
Monthly maximum benefit: $150/single, $450/family.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on January 5, 2003 05:07:37 PM new
Reamond: Of course eBay is getting a cut. This is no different from Costco offering its group of "Executive Members" to various industries and taking a slice of the pie in return.
PowerSellers, you're not special. You're a target.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on January 5, 2003 05:12:50 PM new
Actually, there is a way PowerSellers could qualify for group coverage. I looked into this when I had a couple of employees.
Some of the major health insurance providers offer coverage for groups as few as TWO people! And it's not that expensive.
Groups don't have to be employees of some company. A group can be the membership of a club, for instance. We PowerSellers ought to start up local or regional eBay Selling Clubs (forget that, take "eBay" out of the name and just call them Selling Clubs) and band together.
We don't need Big Brother eBay involved in every facet of our lives.
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Reamond
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posted on January 5, 2003 05:42:11 PM new
It's not that expensive" B#ll S#it !!!
Any coverage worth the premium must go through a large group and have a well heeled employer. But even that is disappearing.
General Electric Employees Vow to Strike in Protest of Rising Health Care Costs
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20030105_420.html
GM, IBM, Ford, and GE are all having severe problems with health care costs. THERE IS NO WAY A SMALL GROUP OR EBAY CAN OFFER OR ATTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE THAT WOULD BE COST EFFECTIVE FOR SELLERS.
Here is another little ditty after looking at the prescription drug plan above- HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THE INSURER WILL CARRY YOU IF YOU HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF USAGE EACH MONTH ? ANSWER- NOT VERY LONG.
Insurance companies are in business to MAKE MONEY !! If you are using more benefits than your premium amounts to, then they don't want to insure you UNLESS there is a large group policy you are a member of and it therefore remains profitable.
That group insurance plan also has to be select and controllable. eBay sellers are not select nor controllable. Employees are a select group in that they must have some modicum of health or they wouldn't be hired, and the group is a controlled and closed group.
If eBay offered a desirable insurance plan everyone diagnosed with an expensive illness would attempt to become a member of that plan.
Diagnosed with cancer ? Join eBay and become a powerseller by having all your friends "make purchases" from you every month. Paying the FVF for phony sales is still cheaper than paying for your own cancer treatments.
eBay announcing this insurance program was a cruel trick played upon sellers.
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stopwhining
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posted on January 5, 2003 06:16:16 PM new
may be ebay starts out with good intention,except insurance underwriters wont buy the idea that powersellers can be a group.
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Libra63
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posted on January 5, 2003 06:57:38 PM new
How can powersellers be a group when you have to maintain a certain level of selling in order to stay a powerseller. If one month your status is such that you don't make powerseller what happens to the insurance. I am sure that no insurance company will let you come and go.
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stopwhining
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posted on January 5, 2003 07:00:45 PM new
powersellers mean ebay is getting good fees,but mean zilch to the insurer.
insurer does not care how much you sell,as long as you dont get sick and file claims.
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jrome
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posted on January 5, 2003 09:06:18 PM new
Group rates exist for one reason and one reason only. The employer (usually) pays the same rate for everyone, and there is no opting-out. States provide group-rate insurance rates for people who can't buy it otherwise. These rates are very high, because healthy people get their own policies since they are cheaper. This means that the unhealthy people stay in, and the insurers have to raise rates. Then the moderately healthy people leave, and rates go up. Etc.
The only way eBay could get good rates is if they bought insurance for ALL powersellers, which would cost a lot. And a lot of people wouldn't need it. But unless eBay (or any other group provider) buys insurance for everyone in the group, the rates will usually not be any better than what you get on your own.
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Reamond
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posted on January 5, 2003 10:28:56 PM new
eBay sellers are not the type of group that an insurer would even consider for a competitive group health insurance rate. There is no way to control who can join the group. A few phony bids a month and you can be a Power Seller and get the insurance.
Common sense should tell you that eBay could not provide health insurance for sellers that was worthwhile.
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fluffythewondercat
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posted on January 6, 2003 07:07:11 AM new
t's not that expensive" B#ll S#it !!!
Huh? Were you sitting there looking over my shoulder while I was perusing the materials? I don't recall specifics (deductibles, co-pay, etc.) of the plan I was offered other than it would cost the business $100/month per employee. That's not expensive.
Being that without my partner's employer's coverage I would be up the proverbial creek for health care, I was pretty interested in obtaining some separate coverage.
I guess this is an emotionally-charged issue for you but try to stay civil, eh?
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Reamond
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posted on January 6, 2003 12:01:09 PM new
$100 a month will get you a stripped down major medical plan which is basically a plan that only covers a catastrophic illness for a very limited amount of bills, and only while hospitalized.
Worthwhile group family health insurance costs anywhere from $400 to $800 a month, individual $200 to $500. It depends on the geographic location and the employer size.
You can get "health insurance" for as little as $75 a month, but it doesn't cover anything.
There is a difference between what something costs and what it is worth.
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Reamond
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posted on January 7, 2003 11:48:26 AM new
It finally made the press.
http://news.com.com/2100-1017-979492.html?tag=fd_top
After reading the article, I think I know who this insurance is for- it is for Power Sellers that are too incompotent to contact an insurance broker on their own, because that is all that the "eBay" plan is.
BUT-- I am offering a new health insurance program for ALL sellers at eBay- just pay me $5 and I'll give you the phone number of an insurance broker.
[ edited by Reamond on Jan 7, 2003 11:50 AM ]
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