Boeing announced that the new health care law Patty Murray helped write will impact some 90,000 nonunion workers who are being asked to pay significantly more for their coverage.
Boeing offers its employees a very generous plan, but the new law causes concern over taxes on so-called "cadillac" plans. Even though the tax does not kick in until 2018, the company is worried that out of control costs and high taxes will impact the companys' bottom line.
Rick Stephens, Boeing's senior vice president for human resources wrote:
"The newly enacted health care reform legislation, while intended to expand access to care for millions of uninsured Americans, is also adding cost pressure as requirements of the new law are phased in over the next several years"
Boeing is asking workers to accept a higher deductible - $300 for individuals, and $900 for families. The individual deductible will go up by $100, and families will see an increase of $300.
Boeing is also increasing the copayment to 10 percent after the deductible has been met, with an increase to 20 percent in 2012.
While debating Dino Rossi in Spokane last Thursday, Patty Murray bragged she helped write the legislation that is now impacting tens of thousands of workers at Boeing.
The question now is, how will those workers thank Patty Murray?
