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| Report: Thousands of private sector employees at the state’s leading companies rely on the state for health care coverage |
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February 1, 2005 - In a first-ever report released today, the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy (DHCFP) found that many of the state’s uninsured, who rely on the state for health care coverage, are employed at some of the state’s leading companies. Among the 138 employers with at least 50 or more employees whose health care was covered by the state, were such well known brand names as Dunkin Donuts, Stop & Shop, Wal-Mart and McDonald’s. Senator Richard T. Moore (D-Uxbridge), Chair of the new Joint Committee on Health Care Financing who sponsored the budget section that called for the new report, believes the DHCFP’s findings will be helpful in addressing one of this year’s top legislative priorities, reforming the state’s Medicaid system and expanding health care coverage. "As we work to reduce the ranks of the uninsured and reform the Insurance Partnership program that helps small businesses and low wage workers, this information will be especially helpful," explained Senator Moore. "In order to craft real reform of health care, data on those who currently access our health programs is among the basic building blocks of any plan," he added. The DHCFP was required to submit the report by Feb. 1st. They obtained their data through claims from the Uncompensated Care Pool and Medicaid, the state’s two forms of health care coverage for the uninsured. The DHCFP advised against drawing conclusions about specific companies as there are many reasons behind the numbers, such as high cost premiums and low wage jobs, high deductibles and co-pays, and ineligibility due to part-time status. They did, however, conclude that although the current system provides an important safety net it also allows many employers to shift health care costs to the public. Furthermore, self-reporting the identity of their employer by those using public health care funds, makes it more difficult to determine whether the employee might have been able to afford insurance. As Chair of the Health Care Finance Committee, Senator Moore and members of the committee will have a major role in achieving the goal of expanded health insurance coverage in Massachusetts. Senator Moore has already filed legislation to address this issue which looks at requiring employers to facilitate voluntary enrollment of all uninsured employees into a coverage option and requiring employers who do not cover their workers to pay an assessment based on their total payroll. |
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