HOUSE PASSES HEALTH CARE COST CONTAINMENT LEGISLATION

- Friday, June 15, 2012

• Article 325 : MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE PASSES FY ’13 BUDGET
• Article 347 : Grocers Coupon Services for MFA Members Only
• Article 348 : The Griffin Report of Food Marketing
• Article 376 : MFA ADDRESSES TOWN OF BROOKLINE, MA PROPOSAL TO BAN POLYSTYRENE AND CERTAIN DISPOSABLE BAGS
• Article 387 : BIG Y TURNS PINK
• Article 397 : 2013 HOLIDAY CALENDAR
• Article 410 : C&S Wholesale Grocers Responds After Hurricane Sandy
• Article 411 : Big Y Launches Customer and Employee Donation Program
• Article 412 : Big Y Re-Opening / Donation to Schools
• Article 414 : BIG Y'S SACK HUNGER / HELP OTHERS
• Article 416 : 2012 MFA ANNUAL MEETING AND HALL OF FAME PICTURES
• Article 417 : 2012 MASSACHUSETTS BEST BAGGER WINNER - DANNY JOHNSON of ROCHE BROS. SUPERMARKETS
• Article 418 : MFA's Hall of Fame & Community Service Awards
• Article 423 : STOP & SHOP GOES PINK IN SUPPORT OF LOCAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS ORGANIZATIONS
• Article 429 : Big Y Donates $75,000 to Superstorm Sandy and American Red Cross Disaster Relief
• Article 431 : CREDIT CARD LITIGATION UPDATE:
• Article 435 : MASSACHUSETTS FOOD ASSOCIATION NEWS SCAN UPDATE
• Article 436 : MFA Newscan January 21, 2013
• Article 438 : MFA Newscan January 14, 2013
• Article 441 : MFA Newscan January 28, 2013
• Article 442 : BIG Y's "SACK HUNGER" PROGRAM DONATES 162,830 LBS OF FOOD
• Article 444 : Ahold USA Names Mark McGowan To Exec. V.P. Of Merchandising
• Article 445 : Letter to MFA from the Department of Children and Families
• Article 468 : MESSAGE FROM: Joe Kelley, Stop & Shop Supermarkets and Jay Rainville, Demoulas Supermarkets.
• Article 478 : MFA NEWSCAN UPDATE MARCH 11, 2013

On Tuesday, June 5 the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed its own version of a health care cost containment proposal (H4127), soon after the Senate finished work on its version of a health care cost containment proposal (S2270) approved May 17.  Although each proposal differs slightly from one another, common ground was struck between the two bills with regards to an employer’s workforce and how it affects their Fair Share Contribution (FSC) assessment.  A problem existed for many small and independent business owners who offer insurance to their employees, of which some may already have insurance from other sources, such as parents, spouses, veterans or retirement benefits.  Businesses that offer insurance to these workers may be subject to the FSC penalty, because they don’t meet the threshold of enrolled employees in their health plan due to some of them having alternate coverage.  Both House and Senate proposals remove these alternately covered employees from the formula used to determine if an employee enrolls enough of his employers in their plan to avoid the FSC assessment.  The differences between these two proposals will now be worked out by a Conference Committee, however since this measure was in each of the House and Senate proposals, it must remain in some form in the final bill worked out by the Conference Committee.  MFA testified in support of this measure with a coalition of other businesses that supported the effort.  For a copy of the letter signed by the coalition please contact MFA.

Also, an attempt to apply the state’s sales tax to “soft drinks” was rejected during deliberations on the bill.