ObamaCare: Boeing to cut back on healthcare benefits

  We are beginning to see some of the primary results of ObamaCare and so far they are not good. We found out that McDonald’s and other multi-million dollar companies were considering dropping their healthcare benefits because their “mini-meds” programs did not meet the minimum requirements under the new law. Companies such as McDonald’s made the decision that it made better business sense for them to cut out their current healthcare plans altogether and pay the relatively cheap fine to the federal government than it did for them to adopt a healthcare plan that the government found acceptable.

  Once the Obama regime realized that this scenario was a potential landmine before the mid-term election the Department of Health and Human Services granted McDonald’s-and other multi-million dollar companies in the same boat as McDonald’s--a waiver that permitted them to keep the insurance that does not meet the federal guidelines. Apparently the government put politics above what was supposed to be one of the main goals of the healthcare reform law–forcing multi-million dollar companies which could afford to provide better benefits to their employees –to provide those  better healthcare to their employees.

  Now another successful business is feeling the effect of the healthcare reform law; Boeing is threatening to cut back on healthcare benefits to its employees siting the newly enacted law as one of the reasons why this step is necessary.

  With the exception of union employees who were exempted because the trade unions are the Democrats largest special interest group, the healthcare reform law was supposed to be partially financed by a new tax on “Cadillac” healthcare plans. Boeing offers its employees one such “Cadillac” plan and they have decided that rather than pay a new tax on top of the increasing insurance premiums it would be more beneficial to the company to offer its non union employees a lesser plan than they currently enjoy.

The newly enacted health care reform legislation, while intended to expand access to care for millions of uninsured Americans, is also adding cost pressure as requirements of the new law are phased in over the next several years,” wrote Rick Stephens, Boeing’s senior vice president for human resources.

  As if the increasing costs of insurance weren’t enough to drive companies to look for lower costing healthcare plans, the additional 40% tax on the  plans that many of these companies offer is the final straw. Boeing is admitting that without the healthcare reform law the company would probably still have to make changes to their healthcare benefits, but I think it is safe to say that ObamaCare was a huge factor in the decision.

  If there was a chance that Boeing was still considering to continue to offer “Cadillac” plans as part of its changes to its non union employees, the 40% tax increase on top of the rising costs ended that possibility forever. How can a company when faced with such a hefty tax increase afford to keep a benefit when they can simply offer a lesser plan and avoid a 40% surcharge?

  These employees will now be facing higher premiums and larger co-payments with their lesser policies when these new insurance plans are implemented. I thought that ObamaCare was supposed to lower healthcare costs for Americans, but that is obviously not the case as costs continue to skyrocket.

   On top of the lie about reducing healthcare costs, Barack Obama also promised the American people that if his healthcare reform bill became law the people who liked their insurance would be able to keep it. Try telling that to the non union employees at Boeing, for they are learning the truth about ObamaCare the hard way because they are losing their current plans AND paying more for the new plans.

  If all this is happening with some of the largest companies in America how do you think this new law is going to affect the small businesses in America? I think the answer is obvious.