Name:   copperline - Subject:   Yep that is a problem Date:   9/1/2015 12:27:46 PM

The US' healthcare system has been based on employer-provided insurance, that's the way it was concieved from the beginning. The fact that this leaves workers in dire straits when they lose or have to change jobs has been the most obvious problem to me.     The other problem with this is that corporations are profit-driven and will naturally use any avenues to keep their costs down.... reducing or eliminating healthcare insurance that is a large part of their overhead.

Walmart is a good example of what's been wrong with the system, and why a national single-payer plan (like Medicare) is probably better.  Over Walmart's incredible history of growth, its important to remember how they have used the rules to their benefit.   Since inception, Walmart has used massive numbers of part-time workers just so they would not have to pay the extra benefits such as access to their group policy, vacation & sick leave, access to retirement plans, etc.   In fact, this meant that much of their workforce had to seek government programs such as Medicaid, and I'd argue that Walmart benefitted greatly from shifting their operational cost to tax payers.   Thus, Walmart really did receive corporate welfare, and propped up their incredible growth by forcing employees into the only available healthcare they could access....US government assistance programs.

Our new hybrid system (under the Affordable Care Act) at least gives part timers access to insurance group coverage no matter how many hours they work, and that's got to be a good thing.   However, it still leaves taxpayers on the hook for low wage workers intentionally shut out of employer-based plans.    Unfortunately IMO, the compromises necessary to get the ACA passed included loopholes for corporations and can be used to by them to continue to put the cost of employee health plans on taxpayers and protecting their profit margins.  

I once read that if Walmart was a country, it would be China's eighth largest global trading partner.   It's disgraceful that they try to avoid paying a living wage & benefits to 100% of their workforce.

If we are going to use employment-based healthcare insurance as a national plan, I think we are going to have to close loopholes & increase pressure on corporations to provide access to their group policies for all their workforce.   However, I would not be surprised if corporations in the future shift their healthcare costs to the ACA just as Walmart has done over the years.