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Originally posted by: jatki99
Not going to start a new thread, may as well put it here. I wonder how many people will change their mind when they realize the "fine" this year jumps to 700 bucks? I can see where the dilemma is for such a small business guy like this Golden Corral owner, it's really a catch 22. He can keep the business open and make no living for himself or shut it down, where does that leave the workers?
My Dad had a very similar situation. When the strip mines were winding down there was still a lot of coal that could be deep mined and augured. It's very expensive to set up a deep mine, especially for a small operator. Things started up, producing coal, guys were making a good wage, no hiccups. Then the UMW got word we started a deep mine and it became a huge source of friction.
It came down to the guys could vote to unionize (they would be making the exact same pay, but a couple extra bene's) or not. They voted to unionize and the mine shut down and my Dad retired, he'd had enough.
I will add, I do belive everyone is entitled to healthcare but what's going on now is getting absurd. For anyone to try and defend it is equally absurd. Something has to change, but nobody listens to me
It's an interesting article either way.
Many Low-Income Workers Say ‘No’ to Health Insurance
When Billy Sewell began offering health insurance this year to 600 service workers at the Golden Corral restaurants that he owns, he wondered nervously how many would buy it. Adding hundreds of employees to his plan would cost him more than $1 million — a hit he wasn't sure his low-margin business could afford.
His actual costs, though, turned out to be far smaller than he had feared. So far, only two people have signed up.
"We offered, and they didn't take it," he said.
Evidence is growing that his experience is not unusual. The Affordable Care Act's employer mandate, which requires employers with more than 50 full-time workers to offer most of their employees insurance or face financial penalties, was one of the law's most controversial provisions. Business owners and industry groups fiercely protested the change, and some companies cut workers' hours to reduce the number of employees who would be eligible.
But 10 months after the first phase of the mandate took effect, covering companies with 100 or more workers, many business owners say they are finding very few employees willing to buy the health insurance that they are now compelled to offer. The trend is especially pronounced among smaller and midsize businesses in fields filled with low-wage hourly workers, like restaurants, retailing and hospitality. (Companies with 50 to 99 workers are not required to comply with the mandate until next year.)
https://www.cnbc.com/2015/10/20/many-low-income-workers-say-no-to-health-insurance.html?__source=xfinity|mod&par=xfinity
I suspect the Golden Corral guy is gaming the system. The article you linked to indicates he pays his average employee minimum wage and they work 30 hours a week. Which means at best they take home about $800 to $1,000 a month before insurance. The employee’s share of the premium is $130 a month. The policy comes with an upfront $2,500 deductible. It makes no economic sense to take a policy like this.
I agree with you that the system is badly broken, but nobody will take on special interests to fix it.
