Mandated Health Care For Retail Employees

[boomerjamhead]

FWIW, I seldom shop at Wal-Mart...maybe once or twice a year. I find their stores poorly-lit, filthy, and loaded with cheesy goods, so I patronize their competitors.

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Spot on observations. Thier parking lots are a zoo too.

[Live&DieBillsFootball]

Let me guess, you do not (or have never) run your own business. Anyone who has would absolutely shutter at this notion. The government cannot (nor should not) dictate how a company runs their business, what benefits they provide their employees, etc.

The problem is with the government forcing companies under new regulations, you are now paying for the company to supply the insurance (through higher prices) and paying the government (through higher taxes) to make sure the company is providing the insurance and providing the insurance at what the government feels is fair. Nothing like increasing the size of government to do something that should be strictly in the private sector. 

How can it be cost effective if the government is involved? It is not like they have a history of doing things properly. The companies will be forced to provide government mandated insurance. The government will need to determine what type of insurance and how much insurance to provide. This is an absolutely scary thought.

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Well, you guess wrong. I currently own several small to medium businesses. I have always felt that it is important to provide access to medical insurance for all of my employees for several reasons:

 

1. Retain good employees

2. It's the socially responsible thing to do.

 

Do I like it that my competitors do not do the same and therefore have a competitive advantage? No.

 

As a private employer, I am constantly looking for ways to cut health costs. The insurance that I offer employees is much more modest than what Medicaid provides in NYS. And at lower cost.

 

Where government could help is by providing a low cost plan that small business owners could buy and pool their risk. If one of my employees gets cancer, my rates go up significantly. If I was part of a large pool, I would not be affected as much.

[Crap Throwing Monkey]

Where government could help is by providing a low cost plan that small business owners could buy and pool their risk.  If one of my employees gets cancer, my rates go up significantly.  If I was part of a large pool, I would not be affected as much.

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Why government? Why not petition the industry to allow private agencies representing pools of small companies to do that? I don't see where that has to be a government program.

[KRC]

Why government?  Why not petition the industry to allow private agencies representing pools of small companies to do that?  I don't see where that has to be a government program.

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So that we can soak the rich into paying more to support everyone else. That, and you can increase taxes. Increasing taxes has always been beneficial to the economy.

 

Yeah, Big Government. The solution to all problems.

[KRC]

Well, you guess wrong.  I currently own several small to medium businesses.  I have always felt that it is important to provide access to medical insurance for all of my employees for several reasons:

 

1.  Retain good employees

2.  It's the socially responsible thing to do. 

 

Do I like it that my competitors do not do the same and therefore have a competitive advantage?  No.

 

As a private employer, I am constantly looking for ways to cut health costs.  The insurance that I offer employees is much more modest than what Medicaid provides in NYS.  And at lower cost.

 

Where government could help is by providing a low cost plan that small business owners could buy and pool their risk.  If one of my employees gets cancer, my rates go up significantly.  If I was part of a large pool, I would not be affected as much.

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So, you are not providing the same coverage as the government? You need to change that and stop being so cheap with your employees. Take the money out of your pocket and donate it to your employees. It is the socially responsible thing to do.

[Bob Lablaw]

Where government could help is by providing a low cost plan that small business owners could buy and pool their risk.  If one of my employees gets cancer, my rates go up significantly.  If I was part of a large pool, I would not be affected as much.

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Check with your local Chamber of Commerce- many have pools of businesses that buy health care in a bloc to save money (I don not know the specifics, but I know such things exist).

[Live&DieBillsFootball]

So, you are not providing the same coverage as the government? You need to change that and stop being so cheap with your employees. Take the money out of your pocket and donate it to your employees. It is the socially responsible thing to do.

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No, my insurance doesn't provide free cab rides to the podiatrist like Medicaid in NYS allows. Maybe if more employers were like me, Medicaid wouldn't be taking up every property tax dollar in Erie County to pay for the uninsured.

 

Also, it's a good thing that you only got 12 votes in the last Presidential election. We don't have to worry about your policies going into effect.

[KRC]

No, my insurance doesn't provide free cab rides to the podiatrist like Medicaid in NYS allows.  Maybe if more employers were like me, Medicaid wouldn't be taking up every property tax dollar in Erie County to pay for the uninsured.

 

Also, it's a good thing that you only got 12 votes in the last Presidential election.  We don't have to worry about your policies going into effect. 

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Yeah, soaking the taxpayers for things you are too cheap to provide to your employees is a bad thing.

[Live&DieBillsFootball]

Yeah, soaking the taxpayers for things you are too cheap to provide to your employees is a bad thing.

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Do you even have a clue what you are talking about? I stated that I provide health insurance to my employees unlike a lot of other companies. I also stated that my insurance did not cover cab rides to the podiatrist unlike Medicaid in NYS. This somehow makes me soak the taxpayers?? I think that you need to work a little on your reading comprehension.

[Mickey]

Well, you guess wrong.  I currently own several small to medium businesses.  I have always felt that it is important to provide access to medical insurance for all of my employees for several reasons:

 

1.  Retain good employees

2.  It's the socially responsible thing to do. 

 

Do I like it that my competitors do not do the same and therefore have a competitive advantage?  No.

 

As a private employer, I am constantly looking for ways to cut health costs.  The insurance that I offer employees is much more modest than what Medicaid provides in NYS.  And at lower cost.

 

Where government could help is by providing a low cost plan that small business owners could buy and pool their risk.  If one of my employees gets cancer, my rates go up significantly.  If I was part of a large pool, I would not be affected as much.

458046[/snapback]

A lot of carriers offer discounts to get you signed up, my firm changes carriers every year to take advantage of those discounts. Worth a shot?

[KRC]

Do you even have a clue what you are talking about?  I stated that I provide health insurance to my employees unlike a lot of other companies.  I also stated that my insurance did not cover cab rides to the podiatrist unlike Medicaid in NYS.  This somehow makes me soaks the taxpayers??  I think that you need to work a little on your reading comprehension. 

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Your employees are not getting the same benefits as other NYS citizens and that is unfair to your employees. Your insurance is not as good as the government, which means that you are socially responsible to increase the coverage for your employees. Take the money out of your profits and increase your employee's coverage.

 

The government has upped their standards, so up yours.

[Ghost of BiB]

Check with your local Chamber of Commerce- many have pools of businesses that buy health care in a bloc to save money (I don not know the specifics, but I know such things exist).

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Has to be similar companies, for one thing. The insurance modifiers differ by industry and job position.

[Ghost of BiB]

Your employees are not getting the same benefits as other NYS citizens and that is unfair to your employees. Your insurance is not as good as the government, which means that you are socially responsible to increase the coverage for your employees.  Take the money out of your profits and increase your employee's coverage.

 

The government has upped their standards, so up yours.

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My my, we are in a rare mood today, aren't we?

[Mickey]

Do you even have a clue what you are talking about?  I stated that I provide health insurance to my employees unlike a lot of other companies.  I also stated that my insurance did not cover cab rides to the podiatrist unlike Medicaid in NYS.  This somehow makes me soak the taxpayers??   I think that you need to work a little on your reading comprehension. 

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"Soak the taxpayers" is a great applause line since I have never, ever met anyone who thought they were undertaxed. The reality is that we are all getting soaked on healthcare anyway, the money is just extracted by methods other than taxes or, more accurately, extracted by methods other than just taxes. It is an expense that must be carried unless we decide that people too poor to pay for their own health care or health insurance will not get treatment.

 

We either have to pay for that treatment or not provide it. Whether we pay for it through taxes, higher insurance rates, higher medical care costs, higher prices for goods and services or some combination doesn't change the unalterable fact that we have to either pay for it or not provide it.

 

Kudos to you for providing your employees with insurance.

[Live&DieBillsFootball]

Your employees are not getting the same benefits as other NYS citizens and that is unfair to your employees. Your insurance is not as good as the government, which means that you are socially responsible to increase the coverage for your employees.  Take the money out of your profits and increase your employee's coverage.

 

The government has upped their standards, so up yours.

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Well then any company in NY that doesn't offer free transportation for doctor visits does not meet the government standard. This would include every company in the state. Medicaid also provides free eyecare, dental, prescriptions, etc with no deductible. Don't you think that private companies could provide coverage at lower cost by cutting out some of the "frills" that Medicaid patients currently have?

[KRC]

"Soak the taxpayers" is a great applause line since I have never, ever met anyone who thought they were undertaxed. 

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Works the same way with "make the rich pay their fair share." People want coverage for everyone, but they do not want to pay the costs associated with it. They just want to defer the cost to others.

 

Remember, the same person in this thread that states that everyone should be covered is also the same person complaining about the costs.

[KRC]

Well then any company in NY that doesn't offer free transportation for doctor visits does not meet the government standard.  This would include every company in the state.  Medicaid also provides free eyecare, dental, prescriptions, etc with no deductible.  Don't you think that private companies could provide coverage at lower cost by cutting out some of the "frills" that Medicaid patients currently have?

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You mean that we should privatize what is currently run by the government, because the goverment solution goes well beyond what it should provide, costing the taxpayers too much money? Sounds like using government as a solution is a bad idea. Hmmm...where have I heard that concept before...

[Mickey]

Works the same way with "make the rich pay their fair share." People want coverage for everyone, but they do not want to pay the costs associated with it. They just want to defer the cost to others.

 

Remember, the same person in this thread that states that everyone should be covered is also the same person complaining about the costs.

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No matter how you slice it the hard choice remains the same, we either have to pay for those who can't afford health care or deny them treatment. Both choices are really, really bad but there it is.

 

I didn't read his posts as wanting coverage for everyone and in fact, mandated employer provided health insurance won't provide coverage for everyone.

[Max Fischer]

Except if Walmart is doing something illegal punish them.  For legislation to be passed that applies only to Walmart is BS.  Maryland did this and then repealled it when it wasn't going to pass through the courts. 

 

Otherwise Walmart is a business like any other business and they are there to make money.  If they can hire enough people to do the job and they can do so without giving them top tier health insurance, they are not under any obligation to do so.  Supply and demand.  If the workers want to unionize, so be it.  But if Walmart wants to close a store that unionizes that too is their call.  If the union is strong they will entice Target, Kmart, etc... to fill in behind and give them some incentives.  But if it isn't cost effective especially with union mandates on a store then no business will stay open there if he doesn't make economic sense.

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For the record: the Maryland "Fair Share" bill was vetoed by the Governor but sure to be overridden.

 

Yes, I understand free market, not forcing you to work there, etc. But fact is, these people can't afford healthcare on their own and taxpayers just pick up the tab anyway. The bill isn't onerous, it's minimum coverage. At Walmart size stores they can all but dictate the market on their own. I'm not an actuary or anything but I'd bet there's a chance that if (large) businesses pickup up the cost of health care, government could conceivably cut taxes with the money they'd save in uninsured costs.

[Terry Tate]

I don't know the answer to this, all I know is we have to have a federal government program to provide cradle-to-grave health care nationwide - not only for citizens, but everyone who is on our soil. Otherwise, we're turning away bleeding babies at emergency rooms and old people will be dying in hospital parking lots, probably after they finish their last meal of Alpo.

 

Anectdotes are fun. TRUE STORY: My family and I have been without health insurance for over a year. Nothing happened.