 Image: DRB62 under CC 3.0 |
There has been much concern surrounding healthcare reform’s impact on businesses. Many are worried that employers will drop their health insurance plans altogether, rather than complying with new requirements that increase the standard of care.
However, 30 companies and unions–McDonalds is the most popular–have received an exemption from that provision. The waiver must be renewed by Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius each year until 2014. HHS made the judgment that rather than risking companies discontinuing seasonal and temporary workers’ health coverage entirely, it makes more sense to allow them to retain the inferior mini-med plans with extremely low annual limits of coverage. This will be the case for several years, until the health insurance exchanges are fully operational to give such employees more options.
Other firms are protesting this move, because small businesses will suffer while the big names with lobbying influence can get around the unfavorable provision.
Tags: department of health and human services, employer sponsored health insurance, health insurance plans, healthcare reform, hhs, Kathleen Sebelius, mcdonalds, Mini medical, mini-meds, part-time employees, seasonal employees
