The fight for health-care reform has been going on for sometime now. The critical vote takes place over this weekend, and this is my last minute appeal to the small business owners of this country to think with your minds and your hearts, rather than worry about your pocketbooks.
I know that this bill isn’t perfect. What can be in Washington, given the disparity of political views that exist. But I do know one thing. That something must be done immediately to pass health-care reform. It was bad years ago when Clinton tried and was defeated by special interests. It is much worse now.
As a small business owner who has paid way too much for health insurance for too many years, and has seen as so many of you have, what happens when people are ill in this country; I urge all small business owners to think beyond their bank balances and support health-care reform. Measures have been taken to try to reduce any unfair burden on us.
Under the most recent health-care reform proposal, small businesses with less than 50 employees are exempt from having to provide health insurance. It also allows us to pool together to get better rates that have only been accessible to larger companies in the past. Even the Congressional Budget Committee has given it a stamp of approval when it released a report yesterday that “…estimated that it would reduce projected federal budget deficits by $138 billion over the next decade, with additional tax revenue and Medicare savings” according to a report in the NY Times. It’s time to wake up and realize that if we don’t get this passed, things will only get worse.
Shame on those politicians and organizations who continue to put the desires of the insurance companies ahead of the needs of our population, and to what I would consider to be a basic right – to the best health insurance coverage possible, regardless of existing conditions, at the lowest costs, without having to pay for excess greed on the part of the insurance companies.
I appeal to all small business owners – please support health-care reform by calling your local representatives today and urging them to vote yes, for your small business and all of our sakes.
