Isn't a government health care plan BETTER for businesses both large and small?

[blondeatlast]

I know Wal-Mart endorses it, I seem to remember that a GM muckety-muck was mumbling about wanting it as well. Is Big Money and Big Pharma so powerful that they can drown out everyone else?

It seems rather obvious to me that this would cut down on every business's overhead.

Or am I just missing the big picture somehow?

[FreakinDJ]

1. No Shit Sherlock - 3.3% of GDP Not going to Greedy Insurance Cos

[aquart]

2. Yes. The insurance industry is also screwing corporate America.

You'd think the overpaid assholes in charge would notice, but they're too busy spending their bonuses.

[KansDem]

17. Insurance Industry vs. Corporate America

I would be difficult to come out in support of one or the other...

[abluelady]

3. What a Shame

that it being the morally, ethically right thing to do isn't enough. Of course it is better for business. The only you're "missing" is the ignorance of so many.

[ShamelessHussy]

4. Yes. This would help make American companies more COMPETITIVE with our international competitors

I wish this angle would get more play.

[Warren Stupidity]

5. Yes of course it is but the kleptocracy is more worried about

a democratic socialist reform that will re-energize the people to believe that the government belongs to them and can be used to make their lives better.

[inna]

14. bingo! you got it. nt

[ejpoeta]

6. one of the problems we have competing against companies in countries that have

universal healthcare is this very thing... we can't compete with them. the cost of healthcare to companies is a big drag.

[Deja Q]

7. GM was using having to pay for health care as a means to axe employees and offshore.

It's obvious to a lot of us. :)

[Union Yes]

8. GM, Ford, Chrysler, GE, Walmart, Target, Most Airlines endorse reform.

Many of those have endorsed single payer.

[blondeatlast]

9. I suppose it's too much to ask for them to organize; I don't see GM and Ford

or Wal-Mart and Target coming together in support of it--but damn, if they would, Big Pharma and Big Money wouldn't have a chance.

[taught_me_patience]

10. No

The reason big business is against HCR is because the need for health care enslaves us and destroys entrepreneurism. Once we are enslaved, they can get away with not giving us the pay raises we deserve.

[blondeatlast]

11. Please see reply #8 and get back to us, thank you.

I know for a fact that Wal-Mart and GM have been urging a universal plan for years.

[taught_me_patience]

12. Where's the link?

[blondeatlast]

13. You need a link for reply #8? nt

[Union Yes]

16. Right here.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/06/26/immelt-lunacy/

excerpt

From a business standpoint, the notion that businesses are going to put a bunch of money in ads to protect the status quo is just lunacy. It’s just not what we should be doing right now. Like I said, when I think about health care in a GE context, we’re going to win some, we’re going to lose some on health care. But I think it would be totally inappropriate for GE to be saying we don’t need health care reform right now. We do. -GE CEO Jeff Immelt

[blondeatlast]

18. Thanks. My spotty info was =retrieved from memory of a print "Nation" article of about

3 years ago!

It mentioned Wal-Mart and GM and United Airlines mucky mucks talking up reform.

[taught_me_patience]

19. I don't see any endorsement of single payer in that link

or even an endorsement of a public option.

[blondeatlast]

22. Where did anyone but you specify a public option or single payer?

Read the thread again, Sherlock. Carefully.

[taught_me_patience]

23. Please see post #8 - Which I was ultimately asked to do...

"GM, Ford, Chrysler, GE, Walmart, Target, Most Airlines endorse reform.
Many of those have endorsed single payer."

[dugaresa]

20. funny but I work for a big company about to drop traditional healthcare

it is according to the top brass "too costly" for them to continue to provide healthcare coverage
they are moving to HSA's and high deductible plans

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

15. This has much less to do with big money and big pharma...

...than it has to do with congresscritters being very very skeered of raising taxes for any reason. As if the average middle class American was suffering under a horrible tax burden in the first place. Try living in a country with 17+% VAT, like most of the rest of the industrialized world.

[harun]

21. Good for business and the economy in general bad for individual large business's.

They would likely lose top talent or have to pay more for top talent to retain them.