Action Alert

Coalition for Social Justice

Coalition Against Poverty

Public Hearing

Health Care Financing

Friday, Sept 5th @ 10 a.m.

One Ashburton Place, 21st floor, Boston

(next to State House)

Attend Public Hearing to Show Support for

Increasing Employer Responsibility under the New Health Care Reform

Local Transportation from Southeastern Mass.  Car pools leaving from:

New Bedford, 30 Union St., 8 a.m.

Fall River, corner of President Ave & Elsbree St, 8:15 a.m.

Brockton, D'Angelo's parking lot, route 123 (Belmont St.) 8:50 a.m.

The new health care reform has been a huge step forward - over 200,000 low-income

and moderate income families and individuals have gotten access to

affordable, health insurance

But employers who do not provide adequate health insurance

to their employees are not paying their share.

Right now, an employer to covers 25% of their employees or contributes at least one third of their premium is considered to be providing adequate health coverage and is not required to pay a fee to help finance expanded health coverage for the uninsured.

This ridiculously inadequate standard resulted in employers paying a mere $5 million in fees this past year - meanwhile, the numbers of people enrolling in the new subsidized plans are greater than expected, and the taxpayer is footing the bill.

At this hearing, a proposal will be put forward to strengthen the minimum level of health coverage expected of employers - they would be required to BOTH cover 25% of their employees and contribute one third of their premiums.  If not, they would have to pay a fee to cover health care expansion for the uninsured. 

This is still an extremely low standard - but it would nevertheless raise an additional $45 million in premiums, an important step forward.

We need to a good turn-out to show public support for this change for the better!

For more information, call Deb Fastino at 508-982-3108