Firefighters and other first responders in Michigan will face cuts in their hours due to new regulations under Obamacare, WPBN-MI reports.
Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department Chief Pat Parker said he did not know where he would find the estimated $70,000 to pay the health insurance costs for his seven part time employees. The Affordable Care Act mandates that employers must offer health insurance to part-time employees working 30 hours or more per week.
"We’re here to protect our citizens, and the best way to do that is with a full complement of full-time and part-time employees," Parker said. "We’re going to have to find the money somewhere, or do more with less on the fire scene, and I don’t think any of us have that luxury."
"The last thing I want to say to an employee is ‘you’ve met your hours for the week, you can’t come on any emergency’. Not only would that hurt them, it would hurt us as we need those people to respond on calls."