A Reader Story on Small Businesses and Health Reform
Posted on June 23rd, 2009 by Alex Thurston in Insurance Nightmares
 |
Conservatives claim health reform will hurt small business owners, but it's not true: it's the current system that has small businessmen and womens' backs against the wall.
Reader LB shares her experience with running a small business and dealing with exorbitant health care costs from private insurers:
My husband was a member of UFCW when employed by a local grocery store between the mid 60's to mid 90's. During that time his employer provided wonderful health care including eye and dental and even though our annual income was not great, the health care made up for it. Since that time, and now that the health care industry realizes the cash cow they have, we have seen the demise of good insurance and the ever increasing rise in our health care premiums. I am a small business owner and independent contractor. I have only a few employees but because of the nature of our business and the expense, we are unable to provide health care to our staff. I purchase private insurance which has increased each year that I've had it. One year alone, before my husband was eligible for Medicare, we had an insurance bill for two people that was just under $20,000. for the year. Since that time, due to the economic downturn, I have been forced to trim my coverage to a minimum catastropic plan which provides no coverage for annual screening or routine tests (all of which now must come out of pocket). It's time we join the rest of the industrialized countries and provide care for our citizens. Health care should not be a privilege of wealth but a right of every citizen in this country. Let's flood DC phone lines on the 25th of June during the national rally and every day until the hearings produce a Public Option. Let's take back our country from the greedy companies that reward profit over people. IT'S LONG PAST TIME!
Stories like this emphasize how brutally the health crisis is affecting hard-working, entrepreneurial, middle-class Americans. This story also reminds us of an important point: with the flexibility offered by a public health insurance option, more Americans would be able to start and succeed in their own small businesses. As it is, people who have health insurance and have employment are struggling to stay ahead of, in LB's words, "the ever increasing rise in our health care premiums."
This is a clear call to action. We hope you'll join in on the 25th!