Ominosity

   Universal health care is on its way, and corporate America is already making adjustments.
   To hear some of the broadcast headlines, however, news of these adjustments can be scary, as reporters latch onto single aspects that can be ominous and result in a simplistic story.

   So let's put a little context into the UPS announcement that it's dropping health insurance for some 15,000 spouses of its employees.
   First, it applies only to spouses of management employees in America, not to union workers or overseas employees. UPS has a total of almost 400,000 employees, and some 33,000 spouses are covered by UPS policies.
   Second, of those 33,000, some 15,000 have their own jobs, and their companies also offer health insurance. 
   Third, the federal law known as Obamacare requires companies to offer some sort of health insurance coverage to its employees, or pay a penalty.
   Fourth, working spouses who also have their own coverage as well as UPS coverage are double-dipping.
   Fifth, if they don't have health insurance, they soon will, as their employers  follow the law.

   Therefore, UPS  calculates it can save money as these working spouses pick up health insurance from their own employers.
   As things stand now, many companies are saving money by not providing health insurance, since these 15,000 spouses are covered by UPS-sponsored group policies.
   In effect, UPS is saying these other companies are getting a free ride and not paying their fair share. Under the new law, they'll have to pony up.