McDonald's Corp. has notified federal regulators its health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 hourly restaurant workers isn't compatible with a new requirement of the U.S. health overhaul, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday, raising speculation about the fate of those employees' health coverage.

Trade groups representing restaurants and retailers say low-wage employers might halt their coverage if the government doesn't loosen a requirement for "mini-med" plans, which offer limited benefits to some 1.4 million Americans. The requirement concerns the percentage of premiums that must be spent on benefits.

While many restaurants don't offer health coverage, McDonald's provides mini-med plans for workers at 10,500 U.S. locations, most of them franchised. A single worker can pay $14 a week for a plan that caps annual benefits at $2,000, or about $32 a week to get coverage up to $10,000 a year.

Last week, a senior McDonald's official informed the Department of Health and Human Services that the restaurant chain's insurer won't meet a 2011 requirement to spend at least 80 percent to 85 percent of its premium revenue on medical care, the Wall Street Journal reported.

But McDonald's issued a statement Wednesday denying that it planned to drop coverage for its employees and defending its benefit plans.

"We've had the opportunity to speak with regulatory agencies directly to better understand the implications of the law and to share our point of view," Steve Russell, a senior vice president with the company, said in the statement. "Moving forward, we will continue to have an open dialogue with legislators as well as regulators."

The White House pushed back against the Journal story.

“This story is wrong. The new law provides significant flexibility to maintain coverage for workers. Additionally, this story is premature as guidance on the new medical loss ratio rules has not even been issued,” Jessica Santillo, a Health and Human Services spokesperson, told FOX News.

McDonald's and trade groups say the percentage is unrealistic for mini-med plans because of high administrative costs owing to frequent worker turnover, combined with relatively low spending on claims. Democrats who drafted the health law wanted the requirement to prevent insurers from spending too much on executive salaries, marketing and other costs that they said don't directly help patients.

Dozens of companies have taken charges against earnings—totaling more than $1 billion—over a tax change in prescription-drug benefits for retirees.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/29/mcdonalds-warns-nix-hourly-employee-health-coverage-citing-new-federal-rule/

Obama is a McCoward and a McDumbA$$.

the best health insurance you can have.. is

DON`T EAT IT ( MCDONALD`S )

It's yet another lie.

http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/us_mcdonalds

"McDonald's Corp and federal health officials denied a newspaper report that the fast food chain may cut health insurance for its nearly 30,000 hourly workers.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a company memo, reported that McDonald's might cut the insurance unless U.S. regulators waived a requirement of new healthcare legislation championed by President Barack Obama.

McDonald's officials called the report "completely false."

"This story is wrong," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Jessica Santillo said in a statement on Thursday. "The new law provides significant flexibility to maintain coverage for workers."

The fast-food restaurant chain is at odds over the new law's stipulation that so-called "mini-med" insurance plans spend at least 80 percent of premium revenue on medical care, the newspaper said on its website on Wednesday"

Obam is change America didn't want. And now the ugly facts are coming to roost? I would bet money McDonalds actually DID threaten Obama care but they are smoke screening the fact they probably did. McDonalds is looking at a HUGE hit in revenues when Obamacare kicks in.

I am almost totally certain Obama will go down in history as the biggest Fuque up as a President ever!

He reminds me of a trimmer version of this guy!



Let's see if he unleashes a Nuke on himself too!!!

You would have to be a fan of Super Milk Chan to get this reference...

Sorry

Socialistic so-called health insurance has been exposed in many many books, radio talk shows, tapes, DVD's and websites. While the debate was raging, even C-span had conservative Representatives exposing it. The governments look upon us as "useless eaters". Already the death squads have been set up. No Bama {not U.S. born, hence everything and any bill he signs is automatically unconstitutional, null and void}, when Congress was in recess, appointed a "czar" who fanatically believes in rationing of health care, necessary surgeries, discoveries, etc. Get it? A "czar" was an absolute despot in the former USSR. Joe Stalin was a mass murderer. He was a "czar" in more pure form in the eyes of liberals.
If we do not impeach no Bama and repeal health care very, very soon, you will go through - and may be not survive - a vast genocide.
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20Government/AIDS%20and%20Population%20Elimination/population_control_is_evil.htm
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20Government/AIDS%20and%20Population%20Elimination/kill_the_useless_eaters.htm
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20Government/AIDS%20and%20Population%20Elimination/dv.htm
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Abortion%20is%20Murder/planned_parenthood_is_evil.htm
"professor" Eric Pianka, University of Texas!!!
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20Government/AIDS%20and%20Population%20Elimination/holocaust_wish.htm

I actually know someone who works at McDonald's and they said this article is very accurate.

He will be tied with Jimmy Carter and JFK.

Actually give JFK credit, he NARROWLY kept us from getting nuked by Russia. During his administration we came the closest to actually flinging at each other.

Jimmy Carter on the other hand was a flat out LOOSER!

He waned to be such the diplomat. He was an Idealistic cretin.

JFK also favored sound money (backed by silver), unlike everyone else in Washington. (IMHO, the JFK murder was a CIA op)

yeah, IM buying that the multibillion dollar corporation that is mcdonalds will have to cut insurance to employees because of OBAMA...





NOT

The elimination of JFK and his crook brother Bobby, was probably two of the best things that ever happened to America.

Imagine how screwed this coun try would have been if they would have continued on in power.

All of the Kennedy's are crooks, liars, and thieves.

yea, obama just messing all sorts of things up now... McDonalds may have to close down because of obama...

lol, what next

this guy coes here from africa, gets the whole HAWAIIAN health department to perjure and lie regarding his birthplace

infiltrates a christian church for TWENTY years even though he is muslim

secretly hides his desires for young boys

causing mass job loss and unemployment singlehandedly

and NOW he is closing down mcdonalds.....


next he will be directing a serial killer with his books,,lol



outrageous...

don't forget about the secret mind control experiments...
he still is trying to us all into muslims...

oh, HOW DID I FORGET THAT.....??/

that sounds like an admission of guilt...
came from africa??

lol,,haaaaa,, I personally flew the plane,, didnt you know? and I know the people who falsified his documents too,,,