The Power of A

On the heels of a New York Times story yesterday examining the impact of health care reform proposals on small businesses, the House Small Business Committee held a hearing to examine exactly that topic.

“While there is no silver bullet solution to America’s healthcare woes, there is opportunity for improving the system,” Chairwomen Nydia Velazquez said in her written statement. “At the end of the day, small businesses need options, and there are several out there. Whether it is pooling mechanisms, insurance exchanges or refundable tax credits, the one thing we know won’t work is the status quo. That has become abundantly clear.”

Testifying were five small business owners representing a variety of associations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and the Printing Industries of America. Despite the variety of industries represented, all agreed on one point: health care costs were affecting their bottom line. Most of the witnesses endorsed the chairwoman’s Small Business CHOICE Act (HR 859) as a help for their concerns.

According to the National Small Business Association statistic (cited in the chairwoman’s remarks) 10% of small firms may drop employee health care coverage in the next year. If you are a small association, is your association (or an association/business/member you know) going to have to drop or significantly modify your health offerings for employees?

Quick Hits
President Obama’s letter to the Senate outlining his preferred health care reforms….Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein interviews White House economist Christine Roemer on health care…… an idea piece in The New Yorker suggests a way to reduce health care costs like the Mayo Clinic has done… Coverage of the Daschle-Leavitt debate on health care at the National Press Club….