Aug
28
2008
Health Insurance Bill for Small Businesses
Author: Valeria WeberU.S. Representative Don Cazayoux recently announced the proposal of new legislation that will help owners of small businesses provide health insurance to their employees. The legislation is known as the Small Business Health Options Program or SHOP Act, and it will create a health insurance plan that will stretch across the nation and provide coverage for those who are self-employed and for small businesses.
Or at least that’s the hope. How it will work in practice and where the funds will come from to provide this coverage, those details are still a little hazy at this point, but I’m excited to watch and wait and see where this discussion and the proposed legislation ends up. It’s clear that this country is in need of some drastic changes in the area of health insurance coverage and as self-employment grows and new small businesses pop up every day, it is of vital importance that this be addressed sooner rather than later.
28 million Americans are uninsured and are small business owners, their employees and dependents. Since health care costs have skyrocketed in recent years, many small business are paying an average of 18 percent more than large corporations if they are able to afford health insurance at all. It’s a situation that shouldn’t be ignored any longer.
Tags: Health Insurance
August 29th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
I agree, there is a great need for insurance to cover those employed by small businesses… but there can be no question that “the devil is in the details.” At least Rep. Cazayoux is taking the lead on this effort, which is courageous to say the least.
Jerry