It's no secret that many Mainers work at low-paying jobs and aren't able to afford health insurance even if their employer offers it. But when that employer is a major multinational corporation with record-breaking profits year after year, is it right for overburdened Maine taxpayers to pick up the health care tab for its employees?
A bill before the Legislature would require the state to compile information each month about employed participants in its Medicaid program, called MaineCare. That information would include the type of work performed by the MaineCare member, the kind of business where he or she is employed, the number of hours worked and the hourly wage earned. The information would be presented in an annual report to the Legislature and used to guide health care policy.
LD 1927, sponsored by Senate President Beth Edmunds, D-Freeport, has been casually referred to in Augusta as "the Wal-Mart bill" because it was modeled after recent legislation in Maryland that specifically targets the Arkansas-based megaretailer. Maryland's so-called "Fair Share" bill requires the state's Wal-Mart stores to spend 8 percent of their payroll on employee health care or to contribute an equivalent amount to the state's Medicaid program. Wal-Mart is considering filing suit. Full story here......http://www.bangornews.com/news/templates/?a=129922
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