60 large employers, including General Electric, I.B.M., McDonald's and Sears, Roebuck, are joining together to offer low-cost health insurance options to uninsured workers. The program is intended for those typically not eligible for employer health plans, such as part-time and temporary workers. The employers hope this program will help reduce employee turnover and make proposed state mandates for coverage of uninsured workers less likely.
See "60 Companies Plan to Sponsor Health Coverage for Uninsured", Milt Freudenheim, The New York Times, January 26, 2005