Mass. business groups revolt against universal coverage plan

A sign of things to come?

Boston.com:

Current law requires most employers with more than 10 full-time equivalent employees to offer health coverage or to pay an annual “fair share” penalty of $295 per worker. It gives companies an option of paying at least 33 percent of full-time workers’ premiums within the first 90 days of employment or making sure that at least 25 percent of their full-time workers are covered by an employer plan.

But the new regulations would require employers to meet both requirements, or pay the penalty.

“I think there is going to be a revolt over this,” said Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, a trade group with 3,000 members. “This is tough economic times, and I don’t think they fully understand how many small businesses are going to be hit hard by this.”