Small businesses are the pillar of our nation's economy. They employ over 40 percent of the workforce and enable many to live the American dream. Generally smaller companies treat their employees better since the relationship is on a more human level and 50,000 people's jobs won't be decided on in a nice, expensive boardroom full of millionaires. So how does the insurance industry do it's part to thank this segment of the populaton? They screw them royally of course.
From The New York Times:
In a small workplace, as a result, if an employee or a covered dependent becomes seriously ill, or if someone has even a routine medical need like maternity care, the entire group may pay the price through steeply higher insurance rates.
“Almost any kind of situation where one employee has a serious health condition almost makes the group uninsurable, because of cost,” said the governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius, a member of a group studying health care issues for the National Governors Association. “Affordable coverage for small-business owners and self-employed individuals is probably the biggest challenge that we have in Kansas and most states.”
Ms. Sebelius, a Democrat, is currently at work on a bipartisan proposal with the state’s Republican insurance commissioner that would insulate small groups by having the state provide backup insurance for the most expensive medical cases.
Many state governments are trying to find a solution to this colossal mess. It is obvious that the industry will never clean itself up, so government must step in. Since the President would never do anything to help regular Americans and their health care, the responsibility falls to the states.
The problem with this is that some states have done more than others. Several have caps on how much premiums can rise, but most don't and some companies can see their premiums go up close to 30 percent in one year due to an employee falling ill. Essentially the insurance industry will penalize everyone in the company for one person getting sick. So when someone sneezes in your office, ya better say "bless you."
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