3M Obamacare Massacre: Another One Bites The Dust

During the long heath care debate the President kept saying over and over  

"No matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people, If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what." He didn't let up."If you like what you're getting, keep it," Obama said. "Nobody is forcing you to shift." Source

Back then many of us who opposed Obamacare warned that President says that the government would not force a change, but of course just like they can do today, your employer can force a change. As much as they may complain about each piece of news,  the legislation that was passed is specifically designed to get employers to stop covering employees and force them to move to the exchanges with the ultimate purpose of an eventual single-payer government run health system.

Last week the WSJ announced the contents of a McDonald's corporate letter. Where the fast food company was discussing "Having to drop our current mini-med offering would represent a huge disruption to our 29,500 participants," said McDonald's memo, which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. "It would deny our people this current benefit that positively impacts their lives and protects their health—and would leave many without an affordable, comparably designed alternative until 2014."

Apparently Micky D's wasn't the only Obamacare massacre announced over the past few days. 3M the manufacturer of sticky pads and scotch tape confirmed it would eventually stop offering its health-insurance plan to retirees, citing the federal health overhaul as a factor.

The changes won't start to phase in until 2013. But they show how companies are beginning to respond to the new law, which should make it easier for people in their 50s and early-60s to find affordable policies on their own. While thousands of employers are tapping new funds from the law to keep retiree plans, 3M illustrates that others may not opt to retain such plans over the next few years

The St. Paul, Minn., manufacturing conglomerate notified employees on Friday that it would change retiree benefits both for those who are too young to qualify for Medicare and for those who qualify for the Medicare program. Both groups will get an unspecified health reimbursement instead of having access to a company-sponsored health plan.

...A 3M spokeswoman, Jacqueline Berry, confirmed the contents of the memo.

"As you know, the recently enacted health care reform law has fundamentally changed the health care insurance market," the memo said. "Health care options in the marketplace have improved, and readily available individual insurance plans in the Medicare marketplace provide benefits more tailored to retirees' personal needs often at lower costs than what they pay for retiree medical coverage through 3M.

"In addition, health care reform has made it more difficult for employers like 3M to provide a plan that will remain competitive," the memo said. The White House says retiree-only plans are largely exempt from new health insurance regulations under the law.

The company didn't specify how many workers would be impacted. It currently has 23,000 U.S. retirees.

This is not the first report conflicting with the President's promise we'd  be able to keep current benefits after the health-care law passed, and I'm sure this won't be the last.  McDonalds and 3M is just the start of the Obamacare screwing of America.