How’s That Obamacare Waiver Workin’ Out for Ya?
How’s That Obamacare Waiver Workin’ Out for Ya?
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2012
Exactly two years ago this week, the Obama administration announced it had issued more than 100 waivers en masse to a select group of companies, unions and other health insurance providers seeking relief from the onerous federal health care law. The Obamacare waiver winner’s club now totals 2,000. Where are they now?
Answer: In the same miserable boat as every other unlucky business struggling with the crushing costs and burdens of the mandate.
Among the first and most prominent recipients of the Obamacare waivers for favors were large restaurant chains that provide low-wage, seasonal and part-time workers with low-cost health insurance plans called “mini-med” plans. An estimated 1.7 million workers benefit from such plans. Obamacare forced companies carrying such coverage to raise their minimum limits on coverage to no less than $750,000 annually. Another Obamacare provision forces all employers to spend at least 80 percent to 85 percent of their premium revenue on medical care.
The social justice Democrats’ goal was to dictate insurance provider spending not just on coverage amounts, but also on executive salaries, marketing and other costs. The regulation punished companies with mini-med plans whose high administrative costs were due to frequent worker turnover and relatively low spending on claims — not “greed.” Complying with the provision would have meant tens of thousands of low-income workers would lose their benefits altogether.
Darden Restaurants, the Florida-based parent company of Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Red Lobster and other chains, was a member of the Obamacare waiver early bird special. Their get-out-of-Obamacare card helped spare the company’s health insurance benefits for nearly 34,000 employees. Breathing a sigh of relief that it would allow chains to continue offering all employees access to affordable health insurance, Darden said in a statement in the fall of 2010 that “the waiver allows us to continue to do that as the various phases of the health care law are implemented.”
Fast-forward to 2012. Darden announced last month that it would begin shifting full-time workers to part-time status to save money, cut health costs and circumvent Obamacare’s coverage mandate scheduled for full implementation in 2014. The move would reduce full-time employees’ hours to less than 30 hours a week; part-time workers are exempt from the insurance mandate. McDonald’s, another big Obamacare waiver recipient, is considering the same move.
In fact, a survey of members of the Chain Restaurant Compensation Association (CRCA) conducted last year by Hay Group reported that a whopping 77 percent of “quick serve” restaurant operators said they were considering reducing employee hours to change their status from full-time to part-time. At least one Denny’s restaurant franchise owner in Florida is cutting hours and has openly contemplated an Obamacare surcharge. Jimmy John’s and Papa John’s are also slashing work hours. Applebee’s is mulling a freeze on both hiring and expansion.
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch” is a race-neutral truth. But economically illiterate Obama supporters have now called for boycotts of these businesses and accused them of vengeful “racism” against the president. Instead of sympathy and gratitude for private businesses trying to do right by their workers, customers and shareholders, the corporate-bashers inundated Twitter this week with profanity-laced condemnations of the restaurant service industry. One protester tweeted: “@Applebees Your CEO is a racist piece of (redacted), he not hiring because Obama was elected…U WILL LOSE CUSTOMERS.”
“Red Lobster, Olive Garden (are) using Obama re-election as an excuse to deny employees benefits and living wages,” Jon Marquis fumed.
Twitter user Daphine Walker sent unhinged, ungrammatical messages to Red Lobster and Olive Garden in all-caps: “I WILL NEVER SPEND ANOTHER CENT ON THIS RACIST COMPANY WHO DOESNT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYEES.”
The CEO of Red Lobster and Olive Garden is black. But no matter. Regardless of the actual facts, economic realities and entirely predictable and inevitable consequences of command-and-control government mandates, it’s always about identity politics for the Obama grievance mob. In good times and bad, the left never grants waivers from the race card.
Not ENTIRELY true...my company offers healthcare...it just offers insurance with an astronomical premium that my family cannot afford. So we pay ER bills and are about to apply for medicaid. Legislation to limit how much insurance companies can charge AND requiring employers with over a certain amount of employees to offer healthcare that is within the affordability of it's employees will cut down on these costs.
Quoting MomTiara19:I believe when companies have over 50 employees they need to offer a health insurance or pay a fee.
In the long run to my knowledge having healthcare offered at jobs will cut out fees on medicaid,cut fees out on emergency room services,create more jobs in the medical field,and keep all Americans safer from disease.
I am all about companies making a profit. But the point is that CEOs are making record amounts of money - millions and millions of dollars per year. That school bus driver, teacher, nurse, etc. are getting a tiny fraction of the profits. Could be making a lot more if CEOs made reasonable amounts or if their salaries were tied to profits. Truth is that they make millions EVEN if the company loses money. Also, corporations are sitting on millions of dollars of profit right now - money just sitting in the bank while they whine about how they can't afford to hire new workers. They are just trying to make workers do the jobs of multiple employees while they get the kickbacks. Just saying . . . And I have a family member who has ALWAYS paid every single employee the best health care coverage he can get. He says that if you treat workers right they are loyal and stick with you. His company is making tons of money and still is able to give great wages and makes sure that everyone who is a hard worker gets a good raise each year.
Quoting yourspecialkid:It amazes me how people tend to forget corporations are owned by stockholders, not CEO's. Stockholders require a return on their investment....a profit. If not they sell their shares and invest elsewhere...enough people doing this will bankrupt a company.
People should also remember who those stockholders are.....they aren't just rich people....they are pension plans...401k's and IRA's. So every time you bash a corp you are also bashing the school bus driver, firefighter, nurse....that own a piece of it.
Sounds like part timers need to be added to the mandantory insurance I doubt that they will all go out of business they will need to make money.
Quoting SunshneDaydream:
Not ENTIRELY true...my company offers healthcare...it just offers insurance with an astronomical premium that my family cannot afford. So we pay ER bills and are about to apply for medicaid. Legislation to limit how much insurance companies can charge AND requiring employers with over a certain amount of employees to offer healthcare that is within the affordability of it's employees will cut down on these costs.
Quoting MomTiara19:
I believe when companies have over 50 employees they need to offer a health insurance or pay a fee.
In the long run to my knowledge having healthcare offered at jobs will cut out fees on medicaid,cut fees out on emergency room services,create more jobs in the medical field,and keep all Americans safer from disease.
They are required to pay a certain percent. Maybe 70-80%, But the mandate isn't in effect yet. They are not required to provide family coverage though, which can be outrageously expensive.
i understand though, even the 20-30% for the employee can be steep.
The health care industry is one on the rise and we should not forget that most of these are high paying jobs, not part time service jobs.
I am happy that those folks who work in hospitals will now have insurance too.
Quoting ILive4This:Our premiums have gone down, as well.
More importantly....as a healthcare worker, we are hoping too see huge changes. For the last few years, people are rolling through the doors of the ER, so damn sick, that they are admitted to the ICU...many on life-support, b/c they had no insurance, so they have done no preventative care. This is COSTLY, for everybody, in many ways.
Quoting NWP:Our premiums have not gone up. We are actually paying less than we were four years ago. A lot less.
Yesterday I picked up a prescription for my 8yo, brand name drug, and it didn't even have a co-pay.
My insurance company now sends me notices about preventative care when it is time for my check ups.
I never have to worry again about my husband being declared with a "pre-existing condition" after a surgery was approved and then left uncovered by the insurance company we had been paying to provide that service for us. Jerks.
I love the idea that 80% of my premiums are going to pay for care and not some insurance CEO's annual bonus.
It is great to see so many young people considering the health care feild now that there will be more jobs for them. The medical school that just opened up in this town and the one I lived in previously (both brand spankin' new) are booming and bringing more local physicians and nurses into the area.
I am happy that more people are going to be insured now.
So far, so good.
New World Peace
Quoting Ziva65:
Quoting SunshneDaydream:
Not ENTIRELY true...my company offers healthcare...it just offers insurance with an astronomical premium that my family cannot afford. So we pay ER bills and are about to apply for medicaid. Legislation to limit how much insurance companies can charge AND requiring employers with over a certain amount of employees to offer healthcare that is within the affordability of it's employees will cut down on these costs.
Quoting MomTiara19:
I believe when companies have over 50 employees they need to offer a health insurance or pay a fee.
In the long run to my knowledge having healthcare offered at jobs will cut out fees on medicaid,cut fees out on emergency room services,create more jobs in the medical field,and keep all Americans safer from disease.
They are required to pay a certain percent. Maybe 70-80%, But the mandate isn't in effect yet. They are not required to provide family coverage though, which can be outrageously expensive.
i understand though, even the 20-30% for the employee can be steep.
I know the mandate isn't in effect yet. I'm speaking in hypotheticals here...what SHOULD happen. And good point about not being required to provide family coverage. They should be. I think my companyt pays probably 50-70% of individual coverage, but covering me and my 2 kids would cost me $600/month! That's ridiculous!
Quoting SunshneDaydream:
Quoting Ziva65:
Quoting SunshneDaydream:
Not ENTIRELY true...my company offers healthcare...it just offers insurance with an astronomical premium that my family cannot afford. So we pay ER bills and are about to apply for medicaid. Legislation to limit how much insurance companies can charge AND requiring employers with over a certain amount of employees to offer healthcare that is within the affordability of it's employees will cut down on these costs.
Quoting MomTiara19:
I believe when companies have over 50 employees they need to offer a health insurance or pay a fee.
In the long run to my knowledge having healthcare offered at jobs will cut out fees on medicaid,cut fees out on emergency room services,create more jobs in the medical field,and keep all Americans safer from disease.
They are required to pay a certain percent. Maybe 70-80%, But the mandate isn't in effect yet. They are not required to provide family coverage though, which can be outrageously expensive.
i understand though, even the 20-30% for the employee can be steep.
I know the mandate isn't in effect yet. I'm speaking in hypotheticals here...what SHOULD happen. And good point about not being required to provide family coverage. They should be. I think my companyt pays probably 50-70% of individual coverage, but covering me and my 2 kids would cost me $600/month! That's ridiculous!
I understand your concern about the costs, and we deal with it too. But, from a company owner's perspective it really drives up overall expenses and costs, especially since overall premiums keep going up too. The income doesn't change, so the squeeze will go somewhere. We all see it already. For most companies, especially not large corporate entities, it will be difficult. Many of those jobs will just go away, as they are starting to. the more people demand, particualry by force as this mandate is... the more consequences there will be.
I know it's hard on employees too, I just don't quite understand the mindset that this is all the employer's responsibility. Especially small and mid size businesses that are large enough to fit under the mandate.
Plus, while I prefer to have private coverage for my kids many states do have public coverage options for children. While it isn't my personal choice, I know it's an option to get coverage for kids. It's hard overall, and we all will have to do what we can.
I also wonder, why is it that people EXPECT and employer to foot the bill for insurance? What about being responsible for your own well being? Why do companies have to foot the bill? Why should they beheld responible for your health insurance? Its a perk of a good job, one that tyou've gone to school for and worked hard for.
Pretty sure its a fake profile, trying to be a bad sterotype. lol Claims she has 5 kids and a single mom and trying to concieve, lol...yeah ok. Trying w-a-y to hard.
Quoting MommyTo5Boys:
Or maybe you should get an education first then you can worry about if you "can still get your Obamacare if you don't have a job, right?"
Quoting ShanayMommaOf5:
I can still gets my ObamaCare if I dont has job, write?
Does the Polygamous Community Deserve Food Stamps?
- candlegal
on Nov. 17, 2012 at 7:59 AM