Health Care Law Raises Pressure on Public Unions - NYTimes.com

Health Care Law Raises Pressure on Public Unions - NYTimes.com:

'via Blog this'

By KATE TAYLOR

Published: August 4, 2013

Cities and towns across the country are pushing municipal unions to accept cheaper health benefits in anticipation of a component of the Affordable Care Act that will tax expensive plans starting in 2018. 

The so-called Cadillac tax was inserted into the Affordable Care Act at the advice of economists who argued that expensive health insurancewith the employee bearing little cost made people insensitive to the cost of care. In public employment, though, where benefits are arrived at through bargaining with powerful unions, switching to cheaper plans will not be easy.

Cities including New York and Boston, and school districts from Westchester County, N.Y., to Orange County, Calif., are warning unions that if they cannot figure out how to rein in health care costs now, the price when the tax goes into effect will be steep, threatening raises and even jobs.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/05/nyregion/health-care-law-raises-pressure-on-public-employees-unions.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130805&_r=0

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