Bill Shames Low-Paying Companies

money2-29
money2-29

A new bill in the Michigan Legislature is designed to shine a light on big companies that pay their workers so little they qualify for government-funded healthcare. House Bill 61-46, the Fair Share Health Care Disclosure Act, would require the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to publish an annual list of the 50 companies with the most employees on Medicaid. State Representative Patrick Green says taxpayers end up footing the bill when companies skimp on workers.

“And if those benefits are not being provided by the employer and then transferred over to the state, how do I then balance between corporate tax breaks versus fighting for the working public?”

Green says the list would be useful for lawmakers deciding whether to give corporate tax breaks. He notes last session, the legislature approved several corporate tax cuts, and then recently established a work requirement for Medicaid recipients. Opponents of the bill say it isn’t helpful to publicly shame companies.