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Businesses: 'Fair Share' Unfair
By Martha Bebinger
 Listen to story (Real Audio)
BOSTON - August 12, 2008 - Massachusetts business groups are warning many employers will drop health coverage for employees, under a new Patrick administration plan to raise more money for the state's mandatory health insurance law.
WBUR's Martha Bebinger has more.
BEBINGER: The state?s health coverage law says companies must provide workers with fair and reasonable coverage or pay a yearly $295 fine for each employee. The Patrick administration wants a stricter definition because employers have paid only 6-7 of the 45 million dollars the fine was expected to raise. But Retailers Association of Massachusetts President Jon Hurst says the change would backfire.
HURST: We are going to reach that point where employers will make the decision to drop coverage and pay the tax. This probably marks the beginning of the end of biz support for health care reform in Massachusetts.
BEBINGER: This rule change is part of a 130-million dollar package of increased fees for employers, providers and health insurers that are supposed to match rising consumer health coverage expenses.
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