A Republican bill (H.R. 30) passed by the House could strip health care coverage for one million workers, plus add some $53.2 billion to the federal deficit over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), large employers must provide health care coverage to employees who work 30 or more hours a week or face a penalty. H.R. 30 would require employees to work 40 hours a week to qualify for compulsory care. Health care experts say that it’s an incentive for employers to drop workers down to the 39 hours to avoid the responsibility. One study from the US Berkeley Labor Center estimated that 6.5 million people may risk having their hours cut back under the Republican bill, nearly three times the number (2.3 million) that are vulnerable to losing hours under the current 30-hour threshold.

The AFL-CIO and other groups support strengthening employer responsibility rules in the ACA, rather than weakening them. Since ACA became law, the number of Americans with health insurance has increased 10 million (mostly from employer-provided plans), while the percentage of uninsured Americans has dropped from 17.1% to 12.9%.

Other Interesting News

Instrument Carry-on Rule for Flights Pleases Musicians 

DOT Harmonizes Rules for Musical Instruments on Flights 

Musicians Get Approval to Carry on Instruments When Flying 

DOT Final Rule on Musical Instruments in the Cabin 

DOT Updates Rules for Musical Instruments on Planes 

U.S. DoT Issues Final Rule – Air Travel with Musical Instruments 

Hey, Rockstars, You Can Now Legally Bring Your Instrument as a Carry On