The Supreme Court’s upholding of the Affordable Healthcare Act could have some unintended consequences for Americans who like to dine out.
Experts report that the health care law could mean higher menu prices at restaurants, along with staffing cuts and reduced service. Ultimately, it could mean lower wages for restaurant employees, says Karen Bremer, Executive Director of the Georgia Restaurant Association.
Bremer explained that restaurant profit margins are already as low as 4 percent. They could dip even lower when restaurants are required to provide costly health insurance policies for millions of service employees who have never been covered by their employers’ insurance.
The National Restaurant Association reports that restaurants are the nation’s second-largest private sector employer – with a workforce of nearly 13 million – almost 10 percent of the U.S. workforce
Most of the bill’s key provisions are set to take effect two years from now, on January 1, 2014.
