There are now 111 companies, and growing fast, on a federal waiver list that don’t have to abide by the Obamacare rule of law. From McDonald’s and the Olive Garden, to a variety of unions, they each get a pass. The parent company that owns the Olive Garden and the Red Lobster, and many other restaurants, employs 34,000 people. But it’s not just the big boys on the waiver list, in fact many are small employers with less than 25 employees…the exact businesses that Obamacare was supposed to save from the horrible, horrible, American health care system. With their waivers in hand, these businesses and unions don’t have to buy health insurance for their employees. Instead, they can simply pay a very small fine and dump the employees into Medicaid.
What will Burger King do? McDonald’s will now have millions of dollars left over at the end of the year because they don’t have to buy health insurance. Talk about a huge competitive advantage. Obviously the first thing Burger King must do is drop their employee health insurance too if they are to compete. This was always the game plan in my opinion. Drive private insurance out of business and force everyone to become dependent on the government for their health care.
One company on the waiver list caught my eye, and gave me a laugh. The company, New England Health Care, recommends health care policy to the government. Their mission statement mentions transforming health care to benefit patients and their families.
Classic! They recommend health care policy to the federal government, then get a waiver exempting them from their own recommendations. Do as I say, not as I do I guess.