Mail Stree Alliance

The Florida Main Street Alliance
A project of the Florida Consumer Action Network

Small Business Health Care Principles

To make health care work for small businesses, our employees, and the economy, we need reform that fulfills the following principles:

The "4 C's" of Health Care:

Affordable Costs -- for businesses and employees
Guaranteed Coverage -- quality coverage we can count on
Shared Commitment -- so no one is left to go it alone
Real Choices -- to give small businesses options
and bargaining power

Small Business Petition to Congress for
Real Choice in Health Care

To Members of Congress:

Small businesses need health reform to do our part for economic recovery. We're willing to contribute to make health care work, be we can't go it alone.

We need real choices. Small businesses should have a choice between private and public health insurance plans. Let us decide what works for us: keeping what we've got, or opting for something new. For businesses that don't have good options now, offer the choice of a public health insurance plan. This will give us greater bargaining power, encourage competition among insurers to make costs affordable, and provide a guarantee of quality coverage we can count on.

The time for action is NOW!

          Business owner
            Business name
        Business address
            City, State, Zip
                          Phone
                           Email
Number of Employees
           Business Type

Are you willing to talk to the media? (radio, TV)          YES    NO
Does your business offer health insurance?                     YES NO
(IF NO)
Has your business offered health insurance in the last 2 years? YES NO

In the past two years, have you done any of the following in response
to health insurance premium increases?

Switched to insurance with higher out-of-pocket costs   YES NO
Switched to insurance that covers fewer services           YES NO
Had to drop health insurance entirely                             YES NO

What do you estimate you currently pay for health insurance for your
business as a percentage of your payroll?

<5% 5-10% 11-15% > 15% N/A

On your last renewal, what was the percentage rate increase you were quoted for keeping the same coverage?

<5% 6-10% 11-15% > 16-20% 21-25%
26-30% more than 30% N/A

We'd like to know what you think about approaches to health system reform. Which of the following approaches to health reform do you support?

Everyone getting health insurance through private health insurance plans?
Everyone getting health insurance through a public health insurance plan?
Giving everyone a choice between private health insurance and a public health insurance plan?
Undecided

Do you believe that:

A public health insurance option will have an unfair advantage over private health insurance plans. The private plans won't be able to compete and will get crowded out.
OR
A public health insurance option will increase competition and reduce costs. If private insurers are really more efficient that government, they won't have any trouble competing with a public plan.

Do you believe that:

There should be less public oversight of private health insurance companies.
OR
There should be more public oversight of private health insurance companies.

Role of business and government in health reform

As a small business, are you willing to contribute financially to get quality, affordable health coverage for your business?

YES NO Undecided

At what level would you be willing to contribute, in place of your current health care costs, to get quality health coverage for yourself and your employees? As a percentage of payroll:

<0% 1-3% 4-7% 8-11% 12% or more N/A - no answer

Do you believe that:

Government should play a strong role in guaranteeing access to quality affordable health care.
OR
Access to quality, affordable healthcare should be left up to the free market, and government should not intervene.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your perspective on heath insurance issues and the solutions you would support as a small business owner?

This business is (please check all that apply)

Minority Owned Woman Owned Immigrant Owned

Thanks!


Copyright 2003-2010 Florida Consumer Action Network, Inc. All rights reserved.