Small Business Owners Share Health Care Frustrations
Aug 28, 2008 by Jeff Robinson
(KCPW News) Small business owners gathered at the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce Wednesday afternoon to share their frustrations about health insurance. Rocky Snow, who owns a small confection broker, discussed the problems he faces with Utah's Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool."The premium I face with this particular program is $648 a month and basically covers nothing. I've got to be just about dead before they're gonna step in and do anything. My wife, because she is on two different medications, was denied coverage," said Snow. "I finally worked with SelectHealth on that, and got them to where they will cover her, but it's basically after a $3,000 deductible. Basically, she's gotta be dead, too, before she gets any coverage."
Snow said he still pays much higher premiums than he did a decade ago even though he's much healthier.
Karen Ignagni is the CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade association representing 1,300 health insurance companies. Her organization has launched the Campaign for an American Solution, which is collecting health care stories across the country. She addressed Snow's concerns, along with several others.
"We've been working on ways to improve risk pools," she told Snow. "In Utah, you've done an important thing in creating a system of risk pools plus private coverage behind the risk pool. What we're trying to do is to say to Washington that they need to identify resources to send to states so we can reduce the premiums you're paying in risk pools. That would help materially what you're dealing with."
The organization also urges the federal government to create a health care tax credit for families. For more information about its proposals, visit www.americanhealthsolution.org.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW
1. Ed Dieringer said:
My personal experience in the early part of starting my business and looking for insurance and then when forced to a risk pool is - The problem with the risk pools is that you still have to be able to afford the high cost of the insurance. So, yes, the alternative is there, but it still doesn't answer the question for many individuals due to cost of the premium. The problems need to be tackled at a much different level. We must realize that we are essentially a part of one big risk pool, so we face the same problems no matter how many times you divide the pie. Two of the main issues of focus should be (1) If business is continued to be forced to carry the burden of managing healthcare insurance, then it needs to be provided the tools necessary to do such. For instance, the idea that we aren't allowed to see certain data because we might not use the information correctly, leaves us without the ability to affect positive change as well. Without ability to effect change, business is left to buy the cheapest product which is not to the employee's benefit, which just doubled the problems. You triple the problem when the employee also feels like they can't effect change because someone else is buying their insurance. So, give business the information and tools or get business out of buying insurance and set up insurance to be purchased by individuals. (2)As a provider of healthcare, an employer, and an end user of healthcare, my direct experience with purchasing and utilizing health insurance is that the focus is on limiting services and payment to reduce costs today. This causes us all not to put the focus where it needs to be and that is on quality outcomes. Until the current way of conducting business by health insurance companies changes from limiting services and reimbursement to utilizing companies that provide the highest quality outcomes and paying a reasonable amount in a reasonable time, we cannot hope for a better result in better quality services or reduced healthcare/healthcare insurance costs. So far, from my small business chair, I see very little evidence of Ms. Ignagni's statement that there is a focus on "pay for performance." I hope that one day it moves from lipservice to actuality. Finally, as a concerend healthcare provider and employer, I have been actively involved in many ways in the community and politics to learn about health insurance and the bigger picture issues and to suggest ways to reduce healthcare and health insurance costs. These solutions are not only mine, but are shared by many. Yet there seems to be no takers. Even this article seems to have missed my points that I made at the Chamber of Commerce meeting. Maybe I just wasn't clear enough in my statements at the Chamber meeting. So, here they are. Thanks to all those listening.
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