McDonald's May Drop Health Plan

[me]

They called it a mini plan in the article.

    * McDonald's May Drop Health Plan: The chain has told regulators it may ditch its plan unless a new health-care requirement is waived, Janet Adamy reports.

Editorial writer Joe Rago on McDonald's threat to drop its health plan.

The move is one of the clearest indications that new rules may disrupt workers' health plans as the law ripples through the real world.

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% to 85% of its premium revenue on medical care.

McDonald's and trade groups say the percentage, called a medical loss ratio, 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.

[Sandy Eggo]

Of course you can, but w/one you support the corporation and w/the other more of your local economy. If given a choice, why wouldn't someone choose the non-franchise? Just like anything else, not all are great, but most towns have at least a couple which are. Just about anything would be better quality food and better service than the heart-attack death traps.

I'll say that I do chose a franchise fast food place from time to time out of convenience, but I'd rather not. I have a coworker who plans her lunch around whatever elcheapo special any of the fast food places have. She'll have a box or a sack of $1 items and the pride she feels about being so thrifty is evident. Sure, she gets a lot of food for a low price, by her own admisssion it's "way too much", but she says that to impress anyone listening w/her frugal choice. She's not considering the damage that she's doing to her body. She has health issues and doesn't understand why. That's not even considering how the additives, steroids, antibotics, chemicals and whatever the hell else is added to that food to make it consistant is doing to her overall sense of well being. I'd rather eat a small 1/4 pound hand-formed beef patty from a local source (one local place uses all local products) and pay $5 than get a box full of who knows what that supports the machine which targets people like my coworker. Quantity isn't always the best saving .

[LOsborne]

That's what they called it and exactly how it was explained and why they could offer it to part time employees, because of the low cost of it and the administrative costs were not sky high.  Thanks Lolly I'm glad you explained that so well. 

One more thing ... the non-compliance of our plan was not caused by too little of the premium being paid out for medical expenses, but by the fact the benefit was "limited." That is, there was a life-time maximum cap on the payout. The law mandates no caps.

[me]

That pretty much covers all insurance plans which means eventually everyone will end up on government health care simply because of the cost.  Not entirely a bad thing but the simple truth.

One more thing ... the non-compliance of our plan was not caused by too little of the premium being paid out for medical expenses, but by the fact the benefit was "limited." That is, there was a life-time maximum cap on the payout. The law mandates no caps.

[Palehorse]

There is no government healthcare! Sheesh!

[me]

Eaten in moderation there is nothing wrong with fast food.  Food you cook at home can have the same results if eaten in large quantities so that is a lame excuse and not even logical.  Quit blaming fast foods for peoples own inability to control the quantities of it they consume.  They could fix the exact same things at home and it would produce the same results.  They could also consume the exact same thing at a mom and pop place and get the same results.   

Of course you can, but w/one you support the corporation and w/the other more of your local economy. If given a choice, why wouldn't someone choose the non-franchise? Just like anything else, not all are great, but most towns have at least a couple which are. Just about anything would be better quality food and better service than the heart-attack death traps.

I'll say that I do chose a franchise fast food place from time to time out of convenience, but I'd rather not. I have a coworker who plans her lunch around whatever elcheapo special any of the fast food places have. She'll have a box or a sack of $1 items and the pride she feels about being so thrifty is evident. Sure, she gets a lot of food for a low price, by her own admisssion it's "way too much", but she says that to impress anyone listening w/her frugal choice. She's not considering the damage that she's doing to her body. She has health issues and doesn't understand why. That's not even considering how the additives, steroids, antibotics, chemicals and whatever the hell else is added to that food to make it consistant is doing to her overall sense of well being. I'd rather eat a small 1/4 pound hand-formed beef patty from a local source (one local place uses all local products) and pay $5 than get a box full of who knows what that supports the machine which targets people like my coworker. Quantity isn't always the best saving .

[me]

Not yet anyway.   

There is no government healthcare! Sheesh!

[Palehorse]

It boils down to government regulation of an industry, like the FDA, USDA, etc., etc, etc.

[me]

But if they can't make it under the regulations and go out of business what's left? 

It boils down to government regulation of an industry, like the FDA, USDA, etc., etc, etc.

[Palehorse]

But if they can't make it under the regulations and go out of business what's left?

Conundrum. I've sworn off discussing politics and religion with anyone. . .

[me]

Yep, it's like a which came first chicken egg thing IMO. 

Conundrum. I've sworn off discussing politics and religion with anyone. . .

[Sandy Eggo]

Not entirely true, me. While portion size does play a big part, it's foolish to assume that one food is just as healthy as the other. Do you know where the food from your local fast food places or even grocery stores comes from? Do you know how it was raised/grown? That's not even addressing the obvious differences between preparation and fat content.

If you want to believe that you can trust these places to care about what they serve you over profit, fo ahead, you're just the consumer they're targeting.

[me]

So what are you saying here?  Mom and pop places purchase healthier products and prepare them differently than McD's?  BS  French fries are french fries and hamburger is hamburger.  Neither place is going to serve ground round and, in fact, you'll probably get soy burgers at both places because of the cost the only difference being McD's will probably have less soy in theirs because of the price and they by in volume and can get a better deal.  Yes, McD's a lot of times drips grease but so do mine at home because I simply can't afford the better grade of hamburger.  When I was working I ate fast foods almost every day I weighed 125lbs and my cholesterol was normal but I didn't eat the super sized meals at any one of the places and ate in moderation so that argument is not even a valid one.  What it all boils down to in the end is it's the choice of the person not the restaurants fault.  Whether it's DQ, Arby's, BK, A&W, Taco Bell, a mom and pop place, or whatever the consumer is the one who decides what and how much they eat and it is up to them to control themselves.

Not entirely true, me. While portion size does play a big part, it's foolish to assume that one food is just as healthy as the other. Do you know where the food from your local fast food places or even grocery stores comes from? Do you know how it was raised/grown? That's not even addressing the obvious differences between preparation and fat content.

If you want to believe that you can trust these places to care about what they serve you over profit, fo ahead, you're just the consumer they're targeting.

[LOsborne]

Not entirely true, me. While portion size does play a big part, it's foolish to assume that one food is just as healthy as the other.

True. For example, one can buy healthy sirloin beef and fresh produce. Which will provide one meal, or perhaps two. For the same money (or equivalent food stamps) one can buy two dozen corn dogs, some frozen french fries and half a dozen pudding snacks. The second option will feed many more people. Portion size isn't always the deciding factor. And neither is caloric content. More people in this country are obese, in part, because fattening food is cheap.

[me]

But you can turn that sirloin into something equally as unhealthy as the corn dogs and french fries simply by the way you prepare it and the same goes for the fresh produce.  Those same people, if they have a mind to, can buy in bulk and get many meals out of say, fresh pork loin or chicken thighs.  But there again it depends on preparation and choice.  Frozen french fries are usually prepared in the oven which is not unhealthy or fattening.

True. For example, one can buy healthy sirloin beef and fresh produce. Which will provide one meal, or perhaps two. For the same money (or equivalent food stamps) one can buy two dozen corn dogs, some frozen french fries and half a dozen pudding snacks. The second option will feed many more people. Portion size isn't always the deciding factor. And neither is caloric content. More people in this country are obese, in part, because fattening food is cheap.