Small-biz divided on health-care reform

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: MSNBC

The National Federation of Independent Business opposes including a public plan in the exchange. It fears a government-run plan would undercut private insurers and end up leading to less competition in the insurance marketplace.

...

Some small-business owners, however, support a public plan. David Borris, owner of Hel’s Kitchen Catering in Northbrook, Ill., told the House Ways and Means Committee April 22 that small businesses “already have enough bad choices – high-deductible, low-benefit plans that are barely worth the paper they’re written on.”

“For businesses that don’t have good options now, offer the choice of a public health insurance plan,” he said. “This will give us greater bargaining power and encourage competition among insurers to make costs affordable.”

A study by the Lewin Group for the Commonwealth Fund estimates that a public plan could offer small businesses insurance that is at least 9 percent cheaper than current small-business policies. Savings could range up to 30 percent if the public plan pays Medicare rates to providers and Congress makes other reforms to the health-care system, the study concluded.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30556063/

[mvd]

1. K&R

Are our chances of getting some kind of public plan in decent?

[Overseas]

2. More activities of the NFIB -- against EFCA

October 2008:

The National Federation for Independent Business calls itself "the nation's leading small business association." It's also a lobbying powerhouse with an emphatically pro-Republican political action committee.

The NFIB is spending nearly $1 million on TV advertising pounding Democratic Senate candidates in Minnesota and Maine for supporting legislation that would make it easier for workers to unionize. Opponents of the bill say it will take away secret ballots in union elections.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/secretmoney/outside_groups/national_federation_of_indepen/

[demodonkey]

3. Any small-businessperson with half a brain supports SINGLE-PAYER.

Only single-payer will stabilize things as much as possible. Only single payer will truly get small business off the hook with the insurance companies' constantly moving target prices (skyrocketing ever upward), and allow them to figure their budgets with the flat-rate amount that everyone will pay for healthcare.

Single-payer healthcare for ALL. We can't afford NOT to do this.

[Old Coot]

6. I agree. Single-payer health care is all that makes sense! nt

[patriotvoice]

4. I own a small-business; i support a government-controlled option alongside private options.

Gives the private folks indirect-regulation-by-direct-competition; always a good thing.

[Winterblues]

5. A 9% savings would still be unaffordable for me

$780. per month, even with the $80. knocked off I still can not afford the coverage so I just do without....Can't get sick or even get a check up now and then to let me know if anything is brewing... Why is it America is the ONLY westernized nation that refuses to take care of it's citizens? I guess all the money is meant for bombs and bullets..Americans need to be number one at something so I guess it is number one at killing and destroying.