Remember Obama said "if you like your insurance you can keep it". This is EXACTLY what i was talking about. That was an outright lie as the Healthcare provider IE your JOB will cut an change your benefits when this law got enacted due to their RISING costs.New York, NY, United States (AHN) - AT&T Inc. announced Friday that it plans to take a $ 1 billion non-cash charge in the first quarter due to the health-care reform signed into law this week. The company joins a growing list of U.S. corporations taking such charges.
The nation’s largest telephone company said the charge is because of a change in the tax treatment of Medicare subsidies, a change that has basically eliminated a tax deduction that was used to reduce the cost of drug-benefit programs.
AT&T also said it will look into the health care benefits it offers and consider changes. Prescription drug coverage for retirees may be a target as the tax change for Medicare subsidies directly impacts the cost of providing benefits to this group.
The $1 billion charge is by far the largest announced thus far. Caterpillar said earlier in the week it planned to take a $100 million charge in the current quarter. AK Steel Holding Corp, Valero Energy and Deere & Co. are the other firms to announce planned charges for the health-care changes.
It’s unclear how drastic an impact the charge will have on AT&T’s first quarter earnings, however, it would have eaten up a third of the company’s $3 billion fourth quarter profit.
If a company loses 25% of its PROFITS from this, you really think they will keep the current work force?