|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
| MERG is currently accepting applications for membership from
organizations providing services to micro businesses, and also from
owner-operators of mico businesses in Connecticut. Please
apply online, or
download our
application for more information. |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
|
 |
| |
| Micro-Enterprise Resource Group
– Universal Healthcare Survey Project Results
December 2006
CONTACT: DONNA WERTENBACH
Representative for Micro Enterprise Resource Group (MERG)
Toll free: 888.835.2333
Download Complete Survey (
PDF)
Universal Health Care- Let’s do it right!
Input from the Microenterprise Community
The topic of universal health care for state
citizens has universal support ¬¬-- until the question
arises of who pays.
MERG, the Microenterprise Resource Group is a
collaborative networking group comprised of
microenterpreneurs and member 501C3 organizations who
promote the interests of microenterpreneurs statewide.
MERG, through its fiduciary agent, CEDF; received a
grant from the Universal Health Care Foundation to
survey microenterprises in Connecticut, to solicit their
opinions and measure their needs for health care.
Through its membership, MERG designed and distributed
surveys to over 1000 microenterpreneurs. The survey
covered a variety of aspects of health care insurance
including need, potential solutions and impact to the
business and the larger economy. Accompanying the survey
was a power point presentation highlighting the
fundamental facts relevant to this topic. Coordinated by
MERG members, surveys were completed either as part of a
focus group or through direct mail/email. There were 248
surveys completed.
Their responses are eye-opening – and important for the
state legislature to understand before they begin the
hard work of fashioning health care insurance for all.
It was important to ask the opinion of the smallest of
businesses because microenterprises are the engines of
growth for the state. Microenterprises represent 277,000
registered small businesses in Connecticut and an
estimated 400,000 non-registered. They employ twice as
many people as the top 25 largest employers in the state
of Connecticut. They make up 73 percent of all
registered businesses of all sizes in Connecticut.
Asked what kind of health coverage they have and asked
what kind of state-mandated health insurance would be
most helpful to them and their employees…
Here’s what they said.
First, the overwhelming majority -- 85 percent of the
businesses felt that health insurance is a necessity for
themselves and their employees. However, 82 percent do
not offer it to their employees.
The reason is obvious. More than two-thirds – nearly 69
percent -- said it is too expensive.
Nearly four-fifths said, if health care were affordable,
it would help them recruit and retain employees.
The survey showed that 60 percent said they would
provide health care for their workers if it were
affordable. That’s the good news.
so …..WHAT’S AFFORDABLE?
About 73 percent said that they would be willing to
provide health care for employees if it cost $100 a
month or less per employee. And, even if it is $100 a
month, that represents a new cost for the majority of
businesses that they don’t have to pay currently.
If the health insurance were mandated, businesses would
have to find the money. Where would they find the money?
We asked, and here’s what they said:
Most said they would cut other benefits such as life
insurance, retirement plans, pass on the cost to
customers, lay off employees, delay hiring more
employees or lower the hourly wage of employees.
The work force they hire might change. They would be
less likely to add employees, and instead, would hire
subcontractors or pay people under the table.
If the health care is NOT affordable, 57 percent of
respondents said they would close their doors, move
their business out of state, or operate some portion of
their business under the table to avoid additional
expenses. Based on the number of registered
microenterprises, this would equal a potential loss of
157,890 businesses in Connecticut.
Should this occur, there would be a significant loss in
tax revenues to Connecticut.
But universal health care, if not designed properly,
could significantly shift employment trends in
Connecticut among the smallest businesses. That could
have a huge impact on the economy.
For one, businesses would defer hiring or give
preference to employees who are already covered by
insurance, thus sidestepping the whole question of
insurance and its ramifications. The biggest impact
would be felt by single mothers or single fathers who
need the jobs, or young people just out of high school
or college who need the work and have no other source of
insurance. These people, who often have a more difficult
time getting employed under the best of circumstances,
would face even greater odds.
Businesses are interested in how the state legislature
designs this health insurance. They hope lawmakers do so
with their needs in mind. Here are things
microenterprises want to be included.
They would like to have access to affordable health
insurance. They would prefer to buy insurance through a
state pool. They are interesting in buying individual
policies if tax credits for providing the insurance
directly benefited the business owner. They are also
interested in a state subsidy to provide the insurance.
Top priorities are affordability and continuous
coverage. In the category of their criteria in selecting
coverage are availability of doctors and specialists,
level of care under the plan, and insurance that covers
pre-existing conditions.
A consistent number of participants stated that should
universal health care insurance be mandated, they would
need a transition period to help them prepare for the
task of providing coverage and accommodating the new
expense.
In sum,
The microenterprise community would like to have a
solution to the problem of affordable health care
insurance. They are hoping that their legislators
seriously consider this input in designing any models.
NEXT....View survey data
|
|
|
|
|
