A number of consumer groups that think employers in Massachusetts can and should pay more to help cover the uninsured have been eagerly awaiting a state report released today. It says that the Commonwealth spent $637 million dollars on free or subsidized health coverage for employees of companies with 50 or more workers in the last fiscal year. Since we are almost at the end of FY08, the current number may be noticably higher. Most of these 254,000 workers were not eligible for their employer’s health plan because they were part-time, temporary or new (and in a waiting period). When you include spouses and dependents, the total number of individuals covered is 474,000.
In the next few days, we’ll hear calls to charge employers whose workers are in state health care plans or for stiffer fines on companies that don’t offer insurance to more of their employees.
But business leaders have already said that they are contributing enough to the state law aimed at covering the uninsured.
Does this report change your view?
Here’s the top ten employers whose workers (confirmed by matching DOR records) get government funded coverage or care (the full list is here):
1) Walmart
2) S&S Credit Co. Inc. (Stop and Shop)
3) The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
4) May Department Stores
5) Shaw’s Supermarkets
6) Target
7) Vedior North Atlantic LLC (staffing and recruitment)
8)Demoulas Supermarkets
9) Unicco Service Co. (janitorial, landscaping, office services)
10) City of Boston
Martha Bebinger
If I am reading the report correctly, it looks like the numbers include two broad categories of employees: (1) those who were ineligible for employer-sponsored health insurance because, for example, they were part-time, contract workers, or new hires waiting for the benefit period to begin; and (2) people who are eligible but who chose, for whatever set of reasons, not to purchase insurance through the employer. If there are these two categories, should there be different policy responses for the two?
Hi Paul – I hope you are having a great weekend. On point (2) I’ll mention two points:
1) residents who are eligible for coverage through their employer (or the employer of their spouse) are not eligible for Comm Care. The Connector has an audit or review of enrollees that is underway or begins next month (does anyone remember the details?) that will verify information enrollees provide on this subject.
2) The Connector board began discussions this month about allowing the 30-40,000 residents who can’t afford their share of employer sponsored coverage premiums, and are income eligible for Comm Care, to enroll. This would, of course, be very expensive. The presentation to the board is here:
http://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/binary/com.epicentric.contentmanagement.servlet.ContentDeliveryServlet/About%2520Us/Publications%2520and%2520Reports/Current/Connector%2520board%2520meeting%2520May%25208%252C%25202008/BC%2520-%2520Board%2520PPP%25205-8-08.ppt#256,1,Waiving Commonwealth Care Prohibition on Enrolling Adults with Access to ESI
Best, Martha
What a self-serving game this “health reform” issue has been turned into to by the so-called experts. The emperor has no clothes and even NPR and other “health reform” blogs go along with it. It really is disgusting. They are playing with people’s lives; the fact is that six people a week die prematurely in MA just because they cannot afford to buy health insurance (source: Families USA). The “experts” know it and still they play games instead of doing what’s needed.
It’s time for the public to demand real reform–insist on a reform plan where everyone pay ins and everyone is guaranteed quality care. Why not build on the Medicare program and expand it to cover us all? It works for seniors and the disabled–social insurance with a private delivery system of care providers! This is precisely the universal health care reform plan that Ted Kennedy has been pushing for for years, and years, and years…
A fair payroll tax from employers and a fair health tax from individuals would fund the program. It would cost less, give better coverage to everyone, and would cut out the wasteful middle man–the insurance industry!
Chapter 58 is a fake reform law that Mitt Romney and Blue Cross Blue Shield passed by tricking the public; it doesn’t do a single darn thing to actually reform the broken system.
Well, the public is starting to wise up and become aware that the current system is a perverted mess that is this killing many people while making other people millionaires (is there any update from the Attorney General on the $20Mil payout from “non=profit” MA Blue Cross and Blue Shield to their past CEO Bill VanFaasen, or the $3.5Mil annual salary MA BCBS pays to CEO Clive Killingsworth?
Instead of word games like the quotes in the below Globe article that dance around the heart of the issue and confuse the public, what we need is some real leadership for reforms to make the health care system DIRECTLY accountable to the people–THE PUBLIC–and to our communities. (Gov. Patrick, are you listening?) It’s our money after all, isn’t it?!!!
Boston Globe 5/31/08
Mass. tab for private sector healthcare rises:
“…When you use the state’s water, they send you a bill,” said Rosman. “Maybe if you use the state’s healthcare, they should also send you a bill, and you should pay for some of it.”
Richard C. Lord, chief executive of Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the state’s largest business lobby, said he would oppose efforts to raise the standards set by the Romney administration that determine when a company makes a “reasonable” contribution to employees’ healthcare.
“Healthcare reform was the result of a delicate balance of interests,” said Lord, “and up to now it has the support of the business community. We want to continue to support it and I don’t think we should be changing the rules at this point.”
article link http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2008/05/31/mass_tab_for_private_sector_healthcare_rises/?p1=email_to_a_friend
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It begs to be stated that Mr. Lord’s “delicate balance of interests” is the biggest rip-off of the American people that’s going these days. Health insurance costs are bankrupting countless families, local governments, and now our entire state budget! And there’s one more thing–it might not mean much to Mr Lord and the insurance company executives in his trade association–but this perverted “delicate balance of interests” is responsible for killing people and for maiming many more every month simply because they can’t afford to buy private insurance products.
More insurance product “choices” (choices offered from insurance companies or from employers, for that matter) are most definitely NOT what people need to have health security. Shame on those who keep trying to trick the public about this central point.
I don’t think we should be giving healthcare to only a few selected individuals. Why couldn’t we run a couple of clinics and put money that 637 million dollars towards better doctors at clinics. If we are going to donate, why not donate to all, instead of helping only a few.