Adding Health care costs to restaurant bill

[Guest guest]

Since the beginning of the year, San Francisco businesses have been required

to offer health insurance to employees or pay a fee to the city to fund

health care.

Some restaurants are passing the fee on to consumers in the form of a health

surcharge, which shows up on the bill as a flat fee ($1 per person, or so)

or as a percentage (like sales tax).

Restaurants have been pretty unhappy about the ordinance all along. The

Golden Gate Restaurant Association sued the city, arguing that the rules

about employee benefits can be set only by the feds.

The case has been bouncing through the federal courts, but employers are on

the hook for the fees at least until it gets resolved. The U.S. Court of

Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is supposed to rule on the case later this

month, MarketWatch reports.

Other state and local

governments<http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2007/12/31/the-fight-over-making-employe\

rs-pay-for-health-insurance/?mod=WSJBlog & mod=WSJBlog>have

been keeping an eye on the situation. If the court winds up ruling

that

only the feds can set benefit requirements, it could force would-be health

reformers in statehouses and city halls around the country to reconsider

their plans.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/04/03/in-san-francisco-health-care-shows-up-on-\

the-restaurant-bill/?mod=WSJBlog

--

Ortiz, RD

I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process....

It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?

[Guest guest]

Do we really want to entrust the government with making health care decisions

for us? What makes them experts in making those decisions on our behalf? Yet,

that is what happens when the government; federal, state or local, starts

demanding that health insurance be provided. They then get involved in the

details, but they aren't health care experts. We are!

W. Rowell, RD, LN

Montana State Hospital, Warm Spring, MT

Corporate Dietitian, Evergreen Health Care

Certified LEAP Therapist

" If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs

when it's free. " --P.J. O'Rourke

________________________________

From: rd-usa [mailto:rd-usa ] On Behalf Of

Ortiz

Sent: Friday, April 04, 2008 6:37 AM

To: RD-USA

Subject: Adding Health care costs to restaurant bill

Since the beginning of the year, San Francisco businesses have been required

to offer health insurance to employees or pay a fee to the city to fund

health care.

Some restaurants are passing the fee on to consumers in the form of a health

surcharge, which shows up on the bill as a flat fee ($1 per person, or so)

or as a percentage (like sales tax).

Restaurants have been pretty unhappy about the ordinance all along. The

Golden Gate Restaurant Association sued the city, arguing that the rules

about employee benefits can be set only by the feds.

The case has been bouncing through the federal courts, but employers are on

the hook for the fees at least until it gets resolved. The U.S. Court of

Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is supposed to rule on the case later this

month, MarketWatch reports.

Other state and local

governments<http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2007/12/31/the-fight-over-making-employe\

rs-pay-for-health-insurance/?mod=WSJBlog & mod=WSJBlog>have

been keeping an eye on the situation. If the court winds up ruling

that

only the feds can set benefit requirements, it could force would-be health

reformers in statehouses and city halls around the country to reconsider

their plans.

http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/04/03/in-san-francisco-health-care-shows-up-on-\

the-restaurant-bill/?mod=WSJBlog

--

Ortiz, RD

I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process....

It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?