Obamacare: UPS to drop 15,000 spouses from healthcare benefits

  The Obamacare fallout continues and the hits just keep on coming. One of the trends we have seen as Obamacare draws closer to full implementation is layoffs by companies to get under the number of employees which Obamacare mandates an employer must provide healthcare. A second trend we are seeing is companies cutting employer hours to under 30 hours in order to avoid the now delayed employer mandate.

  And now a third trend may be developing as well, according to this story, UPS is dropping healthcare coverage for the spouses of 15,000 employees:

United Parcel Service Inc. plans to remove thousands of spouses from its medical plan because they are eligible for coverage elsewhere. The Atlanta-based logistics company points to the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as a big reason for the decision, reports Kaiser Health News.

  Naturally the regime is denying this is all because of the ill advised and poorly implemented healthcare reform law:

The decision comes as many analysts are downplaying the Affordable Care Act’s effect on companies such as UPS, noting that the move reflects a long-term trend of shrinking corporate medical benefits, Kaiser Health News reports

  But UPS says Obamacare is the reason for this decision:

But UPS repeatedly cites Obamacare to explain the decision, adding fuel to the debate over whether it erodes traditional employer coverage, Kaiser says.

Rising medical costs, “combined with the costs associated with the Affordable Care Act, have made it increasingly difficult to continue providing the same level of health care benefits to our employees at an affordable cost,” UPS said in a memo to employees.

  But, but, but…..I thought if you liked your coverage you would be able to keep it? UPS is the first company we have heard of to take this path in the wake of Obamacare’s implementation, but I am sure it will not be the last.