What Trader Joe’s teaches us about Obamacare
Washington Post
The grocery chain, in a memo obtained by the Huffington Post, told part-time employees that it would end their health insurance benefits for employees who work less than 30 hours a week, sending them instead to the new public insurance marketplaces with an extra $500 to help purchase coverage.
“Depending on income earned outside of Trader Joe’s, we believe that with the $500 from Trader Joe’s and the tax credits available under the ACA, many crew members should be able to obtain health-care coverage at very little, if any, net cost,” the company said Thursday in a statement to Bloomberg.
So what does this decision by Trader Joe’s tell us about the Affordable Care Act? A few things.
Before we get to that, though, its worth thinking about why Trader Joe’s – or any employer – offers health insurance right now.
While health benefits are expensive, companies typically offer them to stay competitive. A robust health plan can go a long way in wooing potential employees – especially when most of the market doesn’t offer part-time workers the opportunity to buy coverage.
Welcome to Second Class Medicine…if you can get it at all.
Wild Thing’s comment.………….
I guess a lot of people will wake up to what they voted for.
obamacare is going to change so many aspects of the market place and little of that change will be for the better. Very little of obamacare will be voluntary and it will eventually crowd out private insurance for all but the wealthy, the political class and unions. Socialism on the march.