Senator Snowe: Remove the free rider provision

October 22, 2009

Honorable Olympia Snowe

154 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

Subject: Urging you to request removal of “free rider” provision in health care reform 

Dear Senator Snowe:

Thank you for your tremendous efforts to pass affordable, accessible health reform, an issue critical to Mainers. We are writing to ask for your help. We ask you to stand with Maine women and stop discrimination in health care reform. We are deeply concerned about the impact of the Senate Finance Committee’s ‘free rider’ provision, particularly because of the impact it could have on women. Please weigh in with Majority Leader Reid in opposition of ‘free rider’ and in favor of the Senate HELP Committee employer responsibility provisions today. Maine women are calling on you to make sure Majority Leader Reid is aware of the importance of this issue to women in Maine and across the country. 

The Finance Committee’s “free rider” provision creates a possible reverse incentive for companies to hire and retain certain workers, particularly low-income workers such as women and people of color, because of the way health insurance requirements would work. Companies that don’t offer insurance would only be required to contribute to workers’ insurance if they meet certain income thresholds and qualify for a subsidy. On the surface the provision may sound harmless, but in practice, the “free rider” would create an incentive to discriminate against lower-income, single people, and parents, especially single working moms because employers would have to contribute more for these workers than other employees through a requirement that they pay for insurance premiums for them. It also undermines welfare reform initiatives designed to help low-income single mothers get jobs and become self-sufficient.

We believe that health reform legislation must protect employer-sponsored health insurance coverage by including strong employer responsibility provisions. As we near the final stages of health reform, it is imperative that we avoid harmful and potentially discriminatory provisions such as free rider. Please stand with Maine women and express your concern with “free rider” and support the HELP Committee employer responsibility provisions to Majority Leader Reid today. Maine women and our families are counting on you. 

Sincerely,

Business and Professional Women/Maine

Disability Rights Center

Engage Maine

Family Planning Association of Maine

League of Young Voters of Maine

Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center

The Maine Association of Substance Abuse Programs

Maine Center for Economic Policy 

Maine Centers for Women, Work and Community

Maine Children’s Alliance

Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Maine Developmental Disabilities Center 

Maine Equal Justice

Maine People’s Alliance

Maine People’s Resource Center

Maine State Employees Association/SEIU Local 1989

Maine Women’s Health Campaign

Maine Women’s Lobby

Mainely Girls

NAACP Portland Branch

National Council of Jewish Women Southern Maine

New Hope for Women, Inc. 

OHI

Preble Street Resource Center

The WAGE Project

Youth Alternatives Ingraham