Pooling Medical Insurance for part timers

From the Seattle Times:

Companies try to pool uninsured

Millions of American workers don't qualify for the health insurance their companies provide because they are part-time or contract workers.
Today, 45 of the nation's largest employers, including IBM, Sears Roebuck, Ford, Gap, Home Depot and Textron, will unveil a possible solution - pooling their uninsured workers, then seeking an insurer willing to offer a variety of health policies at prices lower than the workers could buy individually.
"We're tired of waiting for people to figure out what to do about the uninsured," said Randy MacDonald, senior vice president of human resources at IBM. "We could not get that reform through the halls of Congress, so we are reforming the marketplace."
The number of uninsured is growing rapidly and now is estimated at more than 43 million.
Details of the program have not been finalized. The idea, formed by the HR Policy Association, a group of senior company executives, may result in a new insurance pool by early next year.

It's about time we heard from the companies on this issue, and I think this direction is fantastic.