A Myth Is Born | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: What the CBO report says is true. It is likely most applicable to people with a next egg who, until now, worked to keep insurance. It will apply to people retiring at 62 rather than 65 (when they get Medicare). It is why Feds can retire in their 50s - because their health insurance stays in place - insurance that is a lot like what you find on the Exchanges. Most of all, it will be the people who don't want to take orders from anyone but their own customers, allowing them to tell management where to shove it.
That is the bright side. There is a down side, which may create jobs rather than fire folks. Marginal employers do indeed have strategies to cut hours for individuals so they don't have to cover them (a good ACA amendment would be to exempt employees who are covered elsewhere from employer mandate calculations). Of course, this means more staff, not less - but none making a living wage or getting health insurance. Congress could, of course, call full time 25 hours instead of 30 - but that hust means more hours cuts and people finding their insurance in Medicaid (and supplementing their incomes with Food Stamps). It is hard to find a way to make low wage workers eligible for care through employers, because we are so replaceable. Something akin to single payer funded by a wage or consumption tax (with no size exemptions) seems the only obvious solution for this cohort. Even the threat might defuse the drive to cut hours. I hope the Dems keep the Senate and win the House - making it a credible threat.
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