12/Jul/2009
The Greatest Country On Earth
Where Do You Stand On The Looming Health Care Changes?
By: Bob Breaux, President/CEO
City of Central Chamber of Commerce
The temperature in South Louisiana continues to climb, and it really is hot and sticky out there, cher’.
Things are really heating up in Washington too. A revolutionary health care war is beginning to take shape.
Currently all parties (health care-providers, insurance companies, business lobbyist, labor unions, etc.) are at the negotiating table. These negotiations will determine if an agreement can be hammered out this time to reform health care, or if there will be an all out political war.
The issues are two-fold: quality health care for all and cost. The World Health Organization says: “The United States spends more per person on health care than any other country, yet in overall quality its care ranks 37th in the world.” So, we are not getting our money’s worth.
There are 45.7 million (Approximately 15 percent of our population) uninsured in this country. Many are small business owners and their employees. Just 10 years ago approximately 60-70 percent of all small businesses in the U.S. offered health insurance to their employees. Today that number is closer to 30 percent. And that is because of the ever-increasing cost of health care.
As a small business owner for over 25 years, I understand the cost issue. I always offered employee health care coverage while, year after year double digit increases made this more and more difficult. In general small businesses pay 20 percent more than large businesses. In years past small businesses were allowed to pool their employees with other small businesses to get the advantages afforded to large businesses. Now the state legislature has disallowed this pooling and costs have sky rocketed for small businesses.
What is driving these cost increases? There is no one group to blame for costs spiraling out of control. All are involved and all have to come to the table. The insured, the uninsured, businesses large and small, insurance companies, health care providers, government, etc. all have a hand in the issue and all must be involved in the solution.
As I understand it, in Washington the only consensus thus far is that everyone should have health care insurance. To provide insurance for everyone and how to pay for it are the real issues. However, everyone having insurance makes sense to me on two fronts. First, it is the “right” thing to do, to assure everyone has quality health care. Second, studies show that 20 percent of our premiums go to defer the cost of those who are uninsured. So if everyone had insurance we should see some savings.
Some of the suggestions on the table to achieve the goal of everyone having insurance are:
Mandate every citizen to have insurance
The government would cover the cost for the indigent (poverty level or below) as it does now through Medicaid or vouchers. Above the poverty level government would pay a portion and individuals would pay a portion up to a certain level then all would be required to pay their full share. Currently everyone who owns an auto is mandated to have auto insurance, so why not mandate health insurance?
Mandate all businesses to pay for employee insurance or offer tax incentives for them to do so.
A mandate without tax incentives will increase the cost of doing business and will ultimately cost jobs. This would put a disproportionate burden on our small community businesses. This would still leave a large number of citizens uninsured.
Nationalize health care with the government running and controlling all aspects of health care.
This is the option for those who fell in love with FEMA after Hurricane Katrina and who think FEMA did a wonderful job at the lowest cost possible. This is the option for those that believe the US Post Office has superior service compared to the alternatives in the free enterprise arena.
As a small business owner and chamber executive I believe in the free enterprise system. It is the free market place that has made us the finest and strongest nation in the world. Yes, we need some governmental restrictions, but over all I lean hard on free enterprise.
This issue is important and will impact every citizen in this country, so we need to be alert to what is happening and we need to be involved in this. I believe it is possible to lower the cost and improve the quality and delivery of health care within the free enterprise arena.
Independence Day has passed, but I hope we all took the time to truly appreciate the sacrifices our founding fathers and our veterans made so we can have the freedoms we enjoy today. We should NEVER take our freedom for granted.
We live in the greatest country on earth. Certainly we have our warts, issues, and problems but we are FREE and ours is a great country.
Central is the epitome of all that is great about America. Central holds tightly to our good, old- fashion American Values. We trust in God, we cherish our families, we serve our country, we serve our community, we work hard, we make our own way, and we CARE.
Have a great summer and God Bless America!
Where Do You Stand On The Looming Health Care Changes?
By: Bob Breaux, President/CEO
City of Central Chamber of Commerce
The temperature in South Louisiana continues to climb, and it really is hot and sticky out there, cher’.
Things are really heating up in Washington too. A revolutionary health care war is beginning to take shape.
Currently all parties (health care-providers, insurance companies, business lobbyist, labor unions, etc.) are at the negotiating table. These negotiations will determine if an agreement can be hammered out this time to reform health care, or if there will be an all out political war.
The issues are two-fold: quality health care for all and cost. The World Health Organization says: “The United States spends more per person on health care than any other country, yet in overall quality its care ranks 37th in the world.” So, we are not getting our money’s worth.
There are 45.7 million (Approximately 15 percent of our population) uninsured in this country. Many are small business owners and their employees. Just 10 years ago approximately 60-70 percent of all small businesses in the U.S. offered health insurance to their employees. Today that number is closer to 30 percent. And that is because of the ever-increasing cost of health care.
As a small business owner for over 25 years, I understand the cost issue. I always offered employee health care coverage while, year after year double digit increases made this more and more difficult. In general small businesses pay 20 percent more than large businesses. In years past small businesses were allowed to pool their employees with other small businesses to get the advantages afforded to large businesses. Now the state legislature has disallowed this pooling and costs have sky rocketed for small businesses.
What is driving these cost increases? There is no one group to blame for costs spiraling out of control. All are involved and all have to come to the table. The insured, the uninsured, businesses large and small, insurance companies, health care providers, government, etc. all have a hand in the issue and all must be involved in the solution.
As I understand it, in Washington the only consensus thus far is that everyone should have health care insurance. To provide insurance for everyone and how to pay for it are the real issues. However, everyone having insurance makes sense to me on two fronts. First, it is the “right” thing to do, to assure everyone has quality health care. Second, studies show that 20 percent of our premiums go to defer the cost of those who are uninsured. So if everyone had insurance we should see some savings.
Some of the suggestions on the table to achieve the goal of everyone having insurance are:
Mandate every citizen to have insurance
The government would cover the cost for the indigent (poverty level or below) as it does now through Medicaid or vouchers. Above the poverty level government would pay a portion and individuals would pay a portion up to a certain level then all would be required to pay their full share. Currently everyone who owns an auto is mandated to have auto insurance, so why not mandate health insurance?
Mandate all businesses to pay for employee insurance or offer tax incentives for them to do so.
A mandate without tax incentives will increase the cost of doing business and will ultimately cost jobs. This would put a disproportionate burden on our small community businesses. This would still leave a large number of citizens uninsured.
Nationalize health care with the government running and controlling all aspects of health care.
This is the option for those who fell in love with FEMA after Hurricane Katrina and who think FEMA did a wonderful job at the lowest cost possible. This is the option for those that believe the US Post Office has superior service compared to the alternatives in the free enterprise arena.
As a small business owner and chamber executive I believe in the free enterprise system. It is the free market place that has made us the finest and strongest nation in the world. Yes, we need some governmental restrictions, but over all I lean hard on free enterprise.
This issue is important and will impact every citizen in this country, so we need to be alert to what is happening and we need to be involved in this. I believe it is possible to lower the cost and improve the quality and delivery of health care within the free enterprise arena.
Independence Day has passed, but I hope we all took the time to truly appreciate the sacrifices our founding fathers and our veterans made so we can have the freedoms we enjoy today. We should NEVER take our freedom for granted.
We live in the greatest country on earth. Certainly we have our warts, issues, and problems but we are FREE and ours is a great country.
Central is the epitome of all that is great about America. Central holds tightly to our good, old- fashion American Values. We trust in God, we cherish our families, we serve our country, we serve our community, we work hard, we make our own way, and we CARE.
Have a great summer and God Bless America!
