PA small businesses support healthcare reform

Small businesses in Pennsylvania support healthcare reform to relieve them from skyrocketing health insurance rates.  A majority is prepared to accept a reasonable “pay or play” provision and a strong majority support an expanded range of insurance options, including a public plan. 

No, you would never know this by speaking to the lobbying groups that claim to represent small business owners in Washington or in Harrisburg.  Those groups - such as the National Federation of Business - strongly oppose reform.  But typically, their memberships are small and their "surveys" consist entirely of their own members.

In May 2000, a national public opinion firm (Lake Research) polled 200 randomly selected small business owners in Pennsylvania about healthcare reform.  The survey included owners of companies with fewer than 100 employees as well as sole proprietors. It was commissioned by the Small Business Majority.

Here are specific findings.

The high cost of health insurance is a financial burden for small businesses.

The survey found:

•           51% of Pennsylvania small business owners polled reported that they pay for health insurance for their employees. Of those, 71% say they are really struggling to do so.

•           Of the 49% of small employers that don’t provide insurance, 87% say they can’t afford it.

•           72% say healthcare reform is important for getting the economy back on track.

•           The number one concern for Pennsylvania small businesses in healthcare reform is controlling costs, followed by providing coverage for everybody and an assurance of high quality, standard minimum benefits.

Employers accept responsibility to help provide employee health coverage.

•           72% say it’s important for individuals, employers, insurers, the government and healthcare providers to share the responsibility for making healthcare more affordable.

•           62% believe that their company has a responsibility to provide health insurance for its employees.

•           56% agree that employers should pay some percentage of their payroll toward their employees’ insurance if they don’t offer a plan themselves.

Small businesses want reform in many parts of the system.

•           A large majority of respondents (90%) agree that people should be able to buy health insurance without regard to any past health problems, and 75% see these preexisting condition rules as barriers to starting a business.

•           Pennsylvania small business owners appreciate choice—74% prefer the option of a public or private health plan, while just 17% are interested only in a private plan, and 4% prefer only a public option.

Respondents are politically varied.

•           47% of respondents identified themselves as Republican, 28% as Democrat and 17% as independent.