Count down to decision on ObamaCare

[Soul Crusher]

First of all, you aren't answering my question. Before ObamaCare were employers required to provide health insurance? If not, they could stop offering the plan at any time. So how does that change?

Secondly, Shockwave's friend believes that "f the employees decide to drop the coverage due to the expensive tax, then Boeing won't have to offer it anymore." How does that make any sense? If they have healthcare from Boeing now, they would pay no Obamacare penalty/tax. So what expensive tax is he referring as far as employees deciding to drop coverage? How would an expensive tax factor into such a decision?

Employers got a tax write off before.  however, now they will pay a fine if the insurance offered is too good or can pay. A fine if not offering anything.   The fine is less than the cost of ObamaCare.  thus, most employers are going to dump the expensive plans , pay the fine, and dump people into the govt plan. 

[avxo]

Employers got a tax write off before.  however, now they will pay a fine if the insurance offered is too good or can pay. A fine if not offering anything.   The fine is less than the cost of ObamaCare.  thus, most employers are going to dump the expensive plans , pay the fine, and dump people into the govt plan. 

That is very simplistic thinking. Employees (and prospective employees) look at perks as a big part of the offer when considering different employment opportunities.

And given the choice between a job with a nice plan and a public "bare minimum" plan, they will probably go for the nice plan, all other things being equal.

[Soul Crusher]

That is very simplistic thinking. Employees (and prospective employees) look at perks as a big part of the offer when considering different employment opportunities.

And given the choice between a job with a nice plan and a public "bare minimum" plan, they will probably go for the nice plan, all other things being equal.

CBO said 20 million are going to lose their plans due to this issue.

[avxo]

CBO said 20 million are going to lose their plans due to this issue.

I take the CBO predictions with a grain of salt. Speaking for myself, if I were evaluating two competing job offers that we're equivalent except for the health plans, I'd choose the private health plan over the public plan.

Perhaps that won't be an option in 10 years. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

[Soul Crusher]

I take the CBO predictions with a grain of salt. Speaking for myself, if I were evaluating two competing job offers that we're equivalent except for the health plans, I'd choose the private health plan over the public plan.

Perhaps that won't be an option in 10 years. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

In a depressed economy many employees will not have a choice of they want to keep their job.

[avxo]

In a depressed economy many employees will not have a choice of they want to keep their job.

Whether you have Obamacare or not, how is that different. An employer says: "Fuck it, I don't want to spend any money on employee healthcare. I am dropping the healthcare plan effective July 1st!" Sure employees could try to complain but, as you so aptly put it, "in a depressed economy many employees will not have a choice of they want to keep their job."

I don't buy this notion that employers will magically drop healthcare plans. The simple fact of the matter is that when people are looking for jobs, they examine their options and rate them based on criteria important to them. If good healthcare options are important, then employers will have to provide those options to lure the best people to come work for them, whether Obamacare is an option or not.

The calculus that businesses engage in isn't just "Oh, I can pay this fine and save this much over the healthcare plan I have now." That's a part of the equation, to be sure. But the remaining part, that is just as important is the part that says: "my current employees say that the plan I have them on, which has perks X, Y and Z was a big factor in their decision to work for me and maybe dropping this plan would make keeping existing talent and recruiting new one more difficult."

[MCWAY]

Whether you have Obamacare or not, how is that different. An employer says: "Fuck it, I don't want to spend any money on employee healthcare. I am dropping the healthcare plan effective July 1st!" Sure employees could try to complain but, as you so aptly put it, "in a depressed economy many employees will not have a choice of they want to keep their job."

I don't buy this notion that employers will magically drop healthcare plans. The simple fact of the matter is that when people are looking for jobs, they examine their options and rate them based on criteria important to them. If good healthcare options are important, then employers will have to provide those options to lure the best people to come work for them, whether Obamacare is an option or not.

The calculus that businesses engage in isn't just "Oh, I can pay this fine and save this much over the healthcare plan I have now." That's a part of the equation, to be sure. But the remaining part, that is just as important is the part that says: "my current employees say that the plan I have them on, which has perks X, Y and Z was a big factor in their decision to work for me and maybe dropping this plan would make keeping existing talent and recruiting new one more difficult."

And, therein lies the problem. People think, because a disaster doesn't happen instantly, there's no problem with the law.

As stated elsewhere, cancer doesn't kill immediately, either. It starts off small. But, by the time you realize it's there, it (almost) is too late to stop it.

[avxo]

And, therein lies the problem. People think, because a disaster doesn't happen instantly, there's no problem with the law.

As stated elsewhere, cancer doesn't kill immediately, either. It starts off small. But, by the time you realize it's there, it (almost) is too late to stop it.

Oh, don't misunderstand. I don't like Obamacare and don't think it's good law^†. I just don't think that the situation that 333386 was describing is sensible. Employers won't just magically drop their own healthcare plans in favor of the minimum possible coverage that ObamaCare providers.


^† I do think that a workable solution to some of the problems could have been achieved, without necessarily requiring such a heavy-handed Government intervention, but that's an unrelated issue.

[whork]

And, therein lies the problem. People think, because a disaster doesn't happen instantly, there's no problem with the law.

As stated elsewhere, cancer doesn't kill immediately, either. It starts off small. But, by the time you realize it's there, it (almost) is too late to stop it.

Yes public health care is cancer

Look at the bright side you will now be able to get treathment unlike before