Mandatory Employer Health Coverage

[Guest Ray Berry]

Senator Kennedy has suggested mandatory health coverage for employees at companies with more than 100 employees. Is this a workable approach to decreasing the number of uninsureds in the U.S.?

Number of uninsured is likely to be on the increase with the many recent layoffs. I personally feel the large number of uninsured is a disgrace and needs to be addressed. Any other ideas on how to reduce the number of uninsured?

[BFree]

No, it's not a workable approach. The common currency in this country is the U.S. dollar, and mandating that employers pay their workers in something other than dollars may have the desired effect, but it will also have unintended consequences.

As for ideas, I take more kindly to incentives rather than mandates.

[david rigby]

The primary goal of a business is to make a profit. That means a constant attention to controlling and/or reducing expenses. A likely result of any mandated expenses is that more jobs will move to other countries. It has already devastated several industries, such as textiles.

[jeanine]

Senator Kennedy's proposal goes beyond just mandating insurance for more employers by expanding FMLA, pension contributions, minimum paid sick time, limits on mandatory overtime, and an increased minimum wage. He also proposed postponing the reductions in the tax code that were part of the tax cut signed last year.

[mroberts]

People like Kennedy have to pull something out of their butt once in a while to make it look like they actual do something.

No, this isn't going to work. If employers are forced to provide coverage, they will just take it out of the employees pay checks. Or, they could provide some cheapo plans that pay for doctors' visits and nothing catastrophic.

It's a nice idea, but so is communism.