We are a small heating and a/c business. My husband and I work full time in the business and together we make less (and work many more hours) than the majority of our employees make in wages. We provide health care to all of our employees (17) as well as dental and vision. We do not pay their premium until after 90 days. We then pay 50% and 100% after one year. Unfortunately, our employees often chose to wait until the year is up when we pay the entire amount, so very often they are without health care until we pay for it. Even when they are eligible they don’t want to add their spouse or dependents (at their expense) because they would rather have a new truck or take expensive vacations. We provide coverage because we care we wish they did too.

I believe everyone needs to share the burden of costs, employees as well as employers.  I found that when the employee understands and takes responsibility for their health care they are less likely to abuse it with late night unnecessary emergency room calls, stomach aches, runny noses etc.  Unfortunately, rates are out of control and we the employers are the only ones who are aware of it. Responsibility for a person’s health needs to rest with the individual. It’s the old adage “you don’t appreciate something unless you work for it and pay for it yourself.”

Please do not create another bureaucracy to manage health care. Who will enforce it? How will you keep costs down? In the 25 years we have been in business I have files of regulatory requirements that we have had to adhere to, with absolutely no enforcement attached or any concern about the costs to us in dollars and time spent overseeing those regulations.
What a colossal waste of productivity, time and money because some legislator thought it was a good idea!