Fix My Job: Benefits

You’d think that every company in America would understand the benefits of providing benefits. But when it comes to healthcare, many workers discover they are on their own.

What to do when you can’t get health benefits through work.

Going without health insurance can mean leaving a myriad of symptoms untreated. But this particular symptom has been somewhat alleviated, thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 – also known as ObamaCare.

But what happens if 2014 rolls around and your employer is still not covering you?  Talk to your co-workers. They probably need insurance, too; if you take action together, it is more likely you will get the company to meet employees’ needs. Here are some scenarios:

• If your company provides insurance to some employees, but you are not getting it, check your contract (if you have one); talk to your union rep (if you are a union member); or ask to see the company’s employee policies. If you are indeed eligible, discuss the matter with your boss, or failing that, your boss’ boss. You’ll almost always get better results by working together with other employees who are in the same boat.
• If you need to work a certain number of hours in order to qualify for benefits, but you never get assigned quite enough hours, see Fix My Job for Not Enough Hours for Benefits.
• If your employer still does not come through, under the Affordable Care Act, families and individuals will have access to plans through either federal- or state-run insurance exchanges (depending on where you live). If you are unable to afford a plan, subsidies will be available. You can find out more about yourinsurance options here .