Long time listener, first time caller. Hoping this belongs here. I’m a fairly quiet person but it’s gotten to the point I feel like I have to vent. I work for a Fortune 500 company. I’m underpaid for the work I do, and our health insurance is crap. I make a decent hourly wage but still underpaid for industry standards. Last year 2021 I needed to get emergency surgery, my insurance denied my much needed procedure and I ended up having to pay a lot more out of pocket than I should have. Luckily I had saved money through the years but drained virtually all my savings because of this one incident. I knew insurance was bad but didn’t realize how bad. I have paid into this insurance for years and then when I finally needed to use it I get denied coverage. Fast forward to 2022. My chocolate lab who I absolutely love just turned 3, is needing a surgery I can’t afford. I feel to prideful to start a gofundme and ask complete strangers or friends and family for money. I will have to take out a loan, rack up my credit cards. To get the surgery my dog needs. I understand companies need to make money but I’m so frustrated at how unaffordable healthcare is for humans and animals alike. My company had record profits and will not be giving out raises for the 3rd year in a row. I’m not going to ask for a raise either because I know it will be denied as I have had several other coworkers get denied. I am however going to see if my coworkers would want to go union. As I feel the company has lost all it’s compassion to help their employees. I will also be searching for other work that will pay an industry standard as well so I can actually save for myself and pay for my dogs surgery. Thank you for letting me vent.