McDonald's May Drop Health Plan

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Wall Street Journal

McDonald's Corp. has warned federal regulators that it could drop its health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers unless regulators waive a new requirement of the U.S. health overhaul.

The move is one of the clearest indications that new rules may disrupt workers' health plans as the law ripples through the real world.

Trade groups representing restaurants and retailers say low-wage employers might halt their coverage if the government doesn't loosen a requirement for "mini-med" plans, which offer limited benefits to some 1.4 million Americans.

The requirement concerns the percentage of premiums that must be spent on benefits.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703431604575522413101063070.html

[mikelgb]

1. This is what you get when you give a fucking inch.

Next time give the fucking mouse a snake instead of a cookie.

[burnsei sensei]

2. Amen indeed! nt

[littlewolf]

4. I am not sure I understand your symbolism ???

McD's - mouse ??? can you help me here .....

[mikelgb]

14. the mouse is the insurance industry.

The cookie is the "BFD" health bill.

The snake is Single Payer.

[littlewolf]

16. thank you ...

i thought with "mouse" you were commenting on Disney ... lol

[KansDem]

51. I believe mikelbg was referring to this...

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

plot deals with a boy who gives a cookie to a mouse, which in turn asks for various other favors.

...but I could be wrong.

[bossy22]

30. the issue is

switching to single payer would take more than a decade...if you want it done right with the least disruptions.

[pattmarty]

41. It took eleven months to institute Medicare when it passed in 65.........

.........You do not know what you are talking about.

[dflprincess]

45. Even if it took that long at the end of 10 years Americans would have access to care

As things stand now, in 10 years we'll all be paying more to private companies for insurance that covers less and makes it harder to actually get care.

[pattmarty]

47. You are right. Plus, you will have insurance, but if you cannot afford.........

..........to use it (deductibles, co-pays) it's like having a drivers license with no car. And yes, if his plan would have been for a "gradual" implementation of Medicare that took 10 yrs I could have easily lived with that. And, guess what? If his plan would have been that, we wouldn't be having this "freaking out" over the Dems losing their asses in this election.

[eridani]

52. Not if you used the infrastructure that is already in place with Medicare

And it will take until 2019 for all of PPACA to kick in anyway, so what is the difference?

[freedom fighter jh]

18. Yes. n/t

[YOY]

25. That ain't no mouse. It's a fucking bubonic rat.

And we gave it the sweetest of macaroons. Just. Like. It. Asked. For.

[mikelgb]

35. And now it complains about how hard it is to swallow

if only it could just have another macaroon to wash the first down with.....

poor fella

[Blue_Tires]

46. actually, they already gave up the mile when it was debated in congress

corporations now of course are going to turn miles into light years, using the tried-and-true tactic of holding a metaphorical gun to the head of thousands of jobs...

[still_one]

3. Mini Med plans are plans that only kick in for catastrophic issues, and have high deductables

are not meant to replace major medical policies.

[Telly Savalas]

53. They're the opposite of what you describe.

The article in the OP addresses this.

Mini-med plans provide coverage for only the first few thousand dollars of medical expenses in a given year. If you have a catastrophic issue, then you're screwed. So yeah, they're not meant to replace major medical policies.

[Botany]

5. How about we all drop McDonald's?

profits 2000 - 2010

[Sherman A1]

11. We would all be healthier doing so

Would we not?

[flyarm]

12. McD's is only the very beginning!

[jgraz]

33. Haven't been to one since 96.

I know, I rule. :P

[izquierdista]

37. What took you so long?

Last time I went was 1975.

[groundloop]

6. Same old song and dance. The free market will take care of everyone.

McDonalds might be inconvenienced by the new regulations so they're going to screw 30,000 employees.

This kind of crap is pretty good evidence why Lie-berman, Nelson, Baucus, and Lincoln were so very wrong and should have allowed us to move all the way to single payer.

[still_one]

10. The mini-med plans are not anything to write home about. They are expensive, have high deductables

and have a lot of exceptions

[quakerboy]

34. 700 for a 2000 potential benefit

I know people who do better than that playing scratchits.

[still_one]

38. It does nothing for preventive care, which is what you want /nt

[dotymed]

32. Single Payer

wasn't even allowed "on the table.
Wow, think about it..........

[nyc 4 Biden]

7. I would start boycotting them but I can't...

I've already been boycotting them because their food sucks and makes me feel like crap when I eat it.

[pezDispenser]

15. exactly

When I read this I thought - thats it, no more McDonald's for me. Then I thought for a second and that just happened naturally about 2 years ago. Damn, I don't even get to really boycott these bastards.

[sybylla]

20. Same here. Already don't go to McD's unless I absolutely have no choice

[BlueJazz]

24. LOL!...I was thinking the same thing!

:)

[ChiciB1]

27. Never Eat Their Stuff & Haven't Been To A McDonalds's IN YEARS! n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

31. So write and tell them you're boycotting them.

If you happen to forget to mention that the boycott already started some time ago and for different reasons, no big deal. Just ask yourself if Ronald would ever lie to you, and you will have your ethical justification if you actually need one.

[bluestateguy]

8. This strikes me as an empty threat

They need to shut their mouths and obey the law.

[Freddie Stubbs]

23. If they stopped providing this insurance plan, they would be in compliance with the law

[BigD_95]

9. How much easier it would be

if there would have just been a single payer healthcare.

All these different laws & loop holes makes the healthcare bill like paying taxes.

[Epiphany4z]

13. it is rare we eat at MCDs

I suppose now it will be never.

[closeupready]

17. If they do this, I will seriously consider boycotting them.

n/t

[Hoyt]

19. One of the key elements to reform is the required benefits to premium ratio. But, McD's has a point

The requirement that health plans spend 80 to 85% of the premium dollar on direct benefits (health care rather than admin)is one of the key elements of the Health Reform legislation.

But, I can see where some provision might need to be made for these "mini-med" plans where the administrative costs probably are higher than a full-blown health plan.

Now, one of the alternatives might be McD's offering a full-blown health plan where the ratios apply.

The best alternative is to just amend the legislation as soon as possible to single payer, or Medicare for all, or add a Public Option.

[Iowa]

50. Nope. No exceptions for shitty "mini-med" plans.

Start doing that, and we'll all be on "mini-med" plans.

[Exultant Democracy]

21. employer based health care is a travesty, it is also a huge disadvantage for american companies

[harun]

28. +10,000,000

[BREMPRO]

22. AGAIN, corporate america holds us hostage- pure extortion

we DO have power- PUBLICIZE and BOYCOTT MC D if they do this. Whiny little turds just want more profits and don't want to take care of their workers.

I keep remembering Obama telling us he can't enact change by himself- he needs our help. The odds are stacked against the people, with corporate money skewing the game and the media, but we do have the power to hold these corporations accountable by shining a light on there blatent anti-worker policies, profit over people motives, and by voting with our wallets.

[Mr. Mustard]

26. Can We Drop the Pretense Once and For All?

Employer based health care is STUPID. It does not work. It is a conflict of interest.

McDonalds should not have any input into the health care system of the USA!

For crying out loud!

We need to stop adding to a false debate. Businesses should not be in the business of health care.

[ChiciB1]

29. Frankly, The HCR Should Have Been More About "What The People Wanted"

rather than what Insurance Companies wanted! And all the rest of those who will get THEIR piece of the pie because of HCR!!

[comtec]

36. then what is your suggestion? (nt)

[riderinthestorm]

39. This is just the beginning of employers dropping health care coverage across the board imho

Health care plans are a major pain in the ass for corporations to administer - and they are expensive. As we near 2014 when everyone is mandated to have it anyway, why should corporations be "in the middle" anymore? There's no incentive. They'll simply stop offering it and let the employer buy it themselves. The employer will have to anyway by law.

Win/win as far as corporations go.

My prediction is we're going to see more and more businesses simply drop offering health care plans. There have already been some anecdotal stories on DU of people whose companies are dropping their coverage. This will snowball.

[CLANG]

40. If that's the only path to single payer, then so be it.

Unfortunately all it will probably mean for us is the republicans win back power and everything goes to hell in a hand-basket.

[ProSense]

42. "reports stating that we plan to drop health care coverage for our employees are completely false,"

McDonald's Fights Back Against Report It Will Drop Health Care Plan

"Media reports stating that we plan to drop health care coverage for our employees are completely false," said Steve Russell, a senior vice president and head of human resources for McDonald's, in a written response to the article. "These reports are purely speculative and misleading."

[Kingofalldems]

43. False story. Take it down

Sources owned by Rupert Murdoch should not be used here. Some seem to enjoy Mr. Murdoch's empire though.

[bluestateguy]

44. And now they are walking it back

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/McDonalds-denies-report-of-apf-455701319.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=3&asset=&ccode=

[KamaAina]

48. So basically, they're admitting their coverage is garbage

and is exactly the kind of crappy plan the bill was designed to address.

[RobinA]

49. It's News To Me

that McDonalds even has a health insurance plan for its low-wage workers. Do 30,000 low-wage employees HAVE insurance through McDonalds? I worked at McD's, they must have forgotten to tell me about this.