Meanwhile, a progressive think tank is now criticizing a Democratic proposal that would force employers to help pay the health insurance costs of low-income workers. Under the plan, employers who don’t provide health coverage would have to pay half the cost of Medicaid benefits or the full cost of subsidies for workers who opt to buy coverage through the proposed insurance exchange. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says the plan could discourage the hiring of low-income workers by essentially imposing a surcharge on their employment. Backers of a universal, single-payer healthcare system have criticized the Democratic approach in part because it makes workers and employers responsible for health insurance coverage instead of the government.