The CCJ Spring Symposium early last week discussed the impacts of Obamacare on the trucking industry. The topic of healthcare is definitely a touchy subject, so feel free to comment on this one.
Lets go over the unbiased facts for starters. For those of you unfamiliar with what Obamacare is, here’s some facts (according to Wikipedia):
– Officially known as the Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act (PPACA or sometimes referred to as ACA)
– Signed into law by President Barack Obama March 23, 2010 (will go into full effect in 2014)
– PPACA is aimed at increasing the rate of health insurance coverage for Americans and reducing overall cost of health care.
– It provides mandates, subsidies and tax credits to employers and individuals to increase the coverage rate
– The PPACA requires insurance companies to cover all applicants and offer the same rates regardless of pre-existing conditions or sex.
Many people that I have spoken to regarding Obamacare and its impacts on truckers have all had the same opinion – it sucks. The complaints are all consistent.. “taxes are too high,” “I can’t afford my employees,” “this is adding to unemployment because small businesses can’t afford to pay the employees health care,” “it is run by the IRS, and with the recent scandals they’ve been involved in…” Needless to say, many people do not have faith in it that the Obama administration is hoping for, and therefore, shining a dim light on the party.
So how would the PPACA/Obamacare affect the average trucker? Will you be able to afford the increased healthcare costs per employee, or will you be forced to cut back? Can you somehow figure out how to get more utilization out of your trucks to pay for the increase?
Cynthia Magnuson-Allen, senior media manager for health care at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), told IMT in an interview that for more than 20 years the organization’s members “have labeled the rising cost of health insurance as the number-one problem they face.” She said, “Small businesses pay as much as 18 percent more than their larger counterparts for equivalent coverage, and this trend will almost certainly be exacerbated by the PPACA, which adds new mandates, requirements, taxes, and fees to the small-group health insurance markets — where most small-business owners purchase products for themselves and their employees.”
And the owner operator? How does this impact your cost base and ability to pay for healthcare?
There is also the point of the cost of the PPACA for the taxpayers to address. Something that was supposedly going to cost tax payers $900 billion (when it was signed) has now turned into a $2 trillion expenditure.
With the possibility of additional costs, it may be time to make some changes. BigRoad can help you reduce your expenditures with our cost effective mobile app. For more information on how BigRoad can benefit your business, feel free to contact us for a free web demo. BigRoad wants to make life on the road easier for you.
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Links to more info:
http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-facts.php
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/obamas-claim-that-90-percent-of-americans-dont-have-to-worry-about-obamacare/2013/04/30/01414c02-b1f7-11e2-9a98-4be1688d7d84_blog.html
http://www.overdriveonline.com/obamacare-counting-down-misplaced-incentives/
http://www.overdriveonline.com/driver-pay-obamacare-industry-outlook-broken-down-at-ccj-symposium/
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/obamacare-burden-small-business