Small Businesses Scrapping Healthcare

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Small Businesses Scrapping Healthcare
4
Wed, 11-18-2009 - 9:43am

Small story in our local news today. Guess they don't want us realize how many millions of Americans will be losing healthcare in the future.

 


Small Firms Scrapping, Scaling Back Health Plans




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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Small businesses across the country
are dropping or scaling back employee health care plans because of the rising cost of insurance.


The health insurance crunch has hit small businesses
particularly hard because they lack the leverage of their bigger
counterparts to negotiate with insurers. So when insurance rates rise, they often respond by asking employees to make higher co-payments, raising deductibles, switching to less generous benefits or simply dropping their coverage.


In recent weeks, small business owners have pleaded their case
to the White House and Congress. Top Democrats in both the House and Senate have said they are looking into how health insurers price their policies for small businesses. And lawmakers have proposed a variety of insurance rating changes, mandates and tax breaks to try to control costs.


http://www.11alive.com/rss/rss_story.aspx?storyid=137695

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Wed, 11-18-2009 - 10:55am
Under Obama's plan I've heard him mention they'll be assistance for small businesses....... (That's when/if it passes.)
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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-03-2009
Wed, 11-18-2009 - 11:07am

I don't think many people understand how expensive the cost of insurance really is. Bigger companies can negotiate for more favorable rates based on the power of their numbers (as mentioned in your link). Small companies get shafted. Faced with a choice between staying in business or paying exorbitant insurance premiums which may mean going bust, many have chosen to do the former. Who can blame them?!

Looking into "how health insurers price their policies for small businesses" sounds damn unpromising. Political lip service and naught else.

As a liberal independent, I am more than ready to see an alternative to both the Republican and Democratic parties. Those in power now have too vested an interest in the status quo.

Jabberwocka

Avatar for ddnlj
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 11-18-2009 - 12:40pm

Oh, I'm not blaming the business owners at all. I can certainly understand the costs and the choices they have to make.

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Registered: 11-20-2009
Fri, 11-20-2009 - 3:12pm
I believe that a great alternative to health insurance is discount health plans/programs. Even if they are only used temporarily. As a member of these program, people can receive discounts on health services that may not have neccessarily been available through insurance. There are ways for small businesses to get around the high costs of insurance. Business owners just have to be resourceful.
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