Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

unlikedemon t1_iu27ac7 wrote

Reply to comment by socalmd123 in The Good Nurse (2022) by ThrowawayThestral

They mentioned explicitly quite a few times that she needed to be there a few more months for be able to receive benefits (she was new). It had nothing to do with affordability as she paid $1k earlier in the movie out of pocket.

8

gopms t1_iubqskq wrote

But they did also show that she was struggling with money. She clearly had a hard time paying the price for the tests and she was a week behind on paying the babysitter. She also said that she was sorry her daughter couldn’t have as much as her friends. So the point still stands that the movie depicts nurses as not making much money. According to the internet nurses in New Jersey make an average of $88,000 a year. There is no reason to think Amy would make less than average at that stage in her career and working in the ICU. Not enough to live lavishly but enough to pay the babysitter.

1

-lover-of-books- t1_iugy97l wrote

That may be the wage now, but definitely not in 2003, when this took place. And factor in being a single mom, with a medical conditions she had for a while with expensive tests and specialists and medications, plus a house and a babysitter she has to pay. I can very much believe she would struggle to make ends meet. Nurses only recently are starting to be paid a wage that reflects the work we put in.

2

gopms t1_iuhc8d6 wrote

A) the wage would be different but so would the cost of living so presumably she was making the equivalent of the average wage then which would go (at least) as far as it does now. B) my comment was in response to someone who seemed to be disputing that Amy was struggling financially (in response to someone who thought that was unrealistic given what nurses make) so I was pointing out that the film shows she was struggling financially (presumably for all the reasons you point out).

2

ImSometimesSmart t1_iuegwz5 wrote

In america you wait a maximum of 3 months to get insurance and that gap is covered by insurance from previous workplace.

−1

CaveDeco t1_iuh5din wrote

That is not true at all…

First, this was depicted as being in 2003, the affordable care act (ACA aka Obamacare), came into effect only in 2014, and was the first time it was required that employers have no more than a 90 day waiting period. Before the ACA it was not uncommon for a year long waiting period after starting a new job before becoming eligible for health insurance. 3 months is the law today, but not the case in 2003.

Second, no gap is paid for by previous employers. The gap you are talking about is what is known as COBRA, but basically once you leave a workplace they have to offer you the ABILITY to stay on their plan for 18 months, but they have no obligation to PAY for it. Generally employer insurance is mostly paid by the employer, with the employee paying a very small portion. When you use cobra as an someone not employed you have to pay BOTH portions. I left a job recently and I paid ~$100 each check while there. For me to go onto cobra is was going to be ~$1500 a month.

4