Rumors that McDonald’s health care coverage for low-level employees may be cut due to the new system introduced after President Obama’s inauguration are completely false, according to the fast food company. Get the full story, with pictures and video below!
The fast food giant has long provided its low-level employees with minimal medical insurance that covers basic medications and doctor visits, but is not comprehensive by any means. The benefit is a crucial factor in maintaining the workforce’s availability and morale.
Last week, and article by the Wall Street Journal pointed out that new requirements of the medical insurance law passed by Congress mandate that insurance companies use 80% of their charged premiums to cover medical costs. This, according to the article, would make the mini-med plans utilized for McDonalds’ health care would become unprofitable, and therefore the insurance companies would either raise premiums or cancel the model.
The report put further scrutiny on an already unpopular reform bill. However, both the fast food company and the U.S. Government came back firing over the report.
“This story is wrong. The new law provides significant flexibility to maintain coverage for workers. Additionally, this story is premature as guidance on the new medical loss ratio rules has not even been issued,” Jessica Santillo, a Health and Human Services spokesperson, told FOX News.
The home of the Big Mac petitioned the U.S. government following the report requesting that its specialized mini-med plans be exempted from that particular part of the regulation. An internal memo cited by WSJ in a more recent article shows the fast food company’s determination to keep coverage for base-level employees.
“Having to drop our current mini-med offering would represent a huge disruption to our 29,500 participants. It would deny our people this current benefit that positively impacts their lives and protects their health—and would leave many without an affordable, comparably designed alternative until 2014.”
Most are regarding this complication as just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to assimilating the new regulation into the current medical system. Things will almost certainly get more difficult before they get better. Do you think the U.S. Government will exempt McDonalds’ health care coverage from the new regulation? Where should they draw the line? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section! For more on the story, check out the video below!
Photos: www.wenn.com
October 1st, 2010 at 5:09 pm
The problem with this story is, employers would, I am sure, just love to cut health insurance benefits for their employees for any reason, since it is an expense. If this were true then I am sure that Ronald McDonald would like to shake Obama’s hand.
But it is not true. It is a lie, and it was the lead story on Fox for a couple of days, which shows you what Fox is.
A bunch of liars.
Remember this, America: Anything that the private sector has given to its employees they have been forced to give, throughout history. If they had their druthers they’d have slave labor. It is simply how capitalism is. Good things that employees get comes from the laws that the government has passed. To say that McDonald’s is going to use the new health care law to get rid of their health care benefits is an impossible contradiction, from the get go. It is all just smoke and mirros from the Right, who want you to think that government is the enemy, and rich CEOs are your friends.
That is, as long as a Democrat is in the White House. When Bush was Pres. the government was the biggest friend we had….
October 1st, 2010 at 5:14 pm
KLO…
How many drill bits have been broken on your skull ?
October 1st, 2010 at 5:19 pm
‘When Bush was Pres. the government was the biggest friend we had….”
Because they were performing their first and formost responsibilty.
Protecting Americans from enemies here and abroad.
Now the enemy is the government.
No doubt, plain and simple
October 1st, 2010 at 5:23 pm
“KLO…
How many drill bits have been broken on your skull ?”
Klo-less has to take off his shoes and drop his drawers just to count to 21 so I’m not sure he could accurately answer that question.