RED ALERT: Obamacare Could Cost Colorado Tourism Industry $2 Million

New Fines Wage War on Critical Jobs

“Steamboat Ski Area officials said Tuesday that the federal health care overhaul could cost their business as much as $2 million a year beginning in 2014.

“The health care overhaul includes a policy that would assess a fine, per employee, to large businesses that do not provide health care to full-time workers. The policy’s potential impact is ringing alarm bells with the Colorado ski industry, which has a large number of uninsured seasonal employees who work enough days to qualify as full-time workers.

“‘The potential impact to Colorado Ski Country member areas is somewhere between $9 million and $14 million in penalties (per year),’ Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. President Chris Diamond said Tuesday, citing a Colorado Ski Country USA estimate. ‘It’s a stunning blow to any large employer like ours that employs seasonal staff.’

“Colorado Ski Country is the trade association for 22 Colorado ski and snowboard resorts. Spokeswoman Jennifer Rudolph cautioned Tuesday that association staff still is digesting the impacts of the multi-faceted health care legislation, which includes numerous tax credits and penalties for businesses of varying sizes. But Rudolph said the association is very much aware of the employer penalty policy.

“‘That is something that has raised a red flag with us, and we do have some concerns as representatives of employers,’ Rudolph said. ‘We do have folks on our staff who work closely with legislators and policy makers and have been paying very close attention to the health care bill.’”

(Mike Lawrence, “Health Policy Raises Red Flags at Steamboat Ski Area,” Steamboat Today, 3/24/10)

By Code Red