Recently some California retailers, such as Home Depot and Trader Joe’s, have decided to no longer offer part-time employees health insurance as part of their employee benefits, opting instead to move them over to Obamacare. In a spearheaded effort by these companies, experts say more companies are sure to follow.
While this may seem like a deficit to part-time workers, experts go onto state that many of today’s part-time American workers don’t even receive health benefits, or if so, usually receive diluted plans with limited care.
“You have to question whether that’s really insurance,” says a director with the Employee Benefits Research institute. “They may not cover prescription drugs, and if you get cancer or end up in the hospital, they probably won’t help you a whole lot.”
While opinions in the corporate sector are strong in regard to the Affordable Care Act, there is some trepidation on the part of employees who have been told their companies will put them on the plan, also known as Obamacare.
In addition to the changes at Home Depot and Trader Joe’s, companies such as Walgreens have also changed their health care coverage, in which it will expand employee choices to over 25 different types of coverage. While this is similar in kind to Obamacare, the two are not affiliated. This increase in choices, however, does mean Walgreens’ workers will have to educate themselves as to which plan is right for them, as opposed to relying on the three to four choices the company now has in place.
Other companies following new trends in worker health benefits include IBM, Time-Warner and General Electric. Sears Holding Corp and Darden Restaurants, Inc., who run the Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, have also made adjustments to their employee health insurance plans.
Even as large corporations deal with the uncertainty of worker insurance, it is still important to know your rights as an employee if you require work-related benefits. With the changing times, coverage has become increasingly complicated to understand, so be sure to obtain the correct legal advice to help you wade through that difficulties while on the road to your justified compensation.
Source: Yahoo Finance, “Part-Timers Losing Their Health Insurance May Want To Thank Their Companies” Rick Newman, Sep. 20, 2013