NBC News did a disservice to every American in its news reporting on the supposed effects of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) on some small businesses. The story was reported by NBC senior investigative correspondent Lisa Myers. As opposed to doing real investigative reporting NBC chose to use a Right Wing narrative from businesses that purposefully choose to harm employees financially to attempt to malign a bill that does not abide by a repressive ideology.
Obamacare requires that employers must provide medical insurance options for employees working thirty or more hours a week. To get around this rule, some employers cut the hours of their workers below thirty hours a week. This hurts the employee and mocks the spirit of the law which is to ensure the humane policy of all Americans being entitled to affordable healthcare.
One anecdotal piece of evidence to promote the Right Wing narrative was the owner of 21 Subways. He will be reducing the hours of fifty employees to 29 hours as opposed to finding a solution to do the moral stance of providing health insurance to those that his own wealth and livelihood depends on. Marginally raising prices and increasing productivity as opposed to cutting hours would have been the moral thing to do.
The reporter claimed to have spoken to almost 20 businesses and that all of them intend to cut hours for some employees. Never did the reporter attempt to get any of them to give alternative options nor did she provide options that would give possibilities that did not require them to cut hours or leave their employees without insurance.
It is time that American workers drive the narrative. They should not be blaming a law that is attempting to provide them humane health insurance to provide them affordable healthcare. After all, at no time have those now complaining about the law offered a realistic solution to the pathetic state of healthcare for a plurality of Americans. It is time for Americans to ask why in a time of record business profits and high unemployment they are still being asked to go without or to give even more. It is time to not take one’s eye off the real culprit for the financial demise of the working middle class, a selfish corporatocracy that sees workers as commodities and solely profit centers.
The glitches and flaws in the bill is actually a result of moneyed business interest wanting a system that has problems that allows its exploitation. Medicare for all in which ALL abled citizens paid taxes and receive a basic humane, clean, and effective level of care is the best and most economical answer. For those who want concierge medical services, they can purchase private insurance.
The reality is businesses do not want portable affordable insurance for all. It means they have one less bargaining chip. It means employees can float between jobs more easily as they do not worry about losing benefits. For those who don’t or never had benefits it means a more assertive employee that feels their real worth.
Americans must not be fooled. For those businesses that do not provide health insurance, they can do so with marginal price increases. If they really cared, they would support the only real solution. Health insurance does not belong with the employer. It should be a right that all abled bodied working people pay for collectively with taxes. Healthy humans make a healthy society. A healthy society promotes a healthy country.
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