And the survey says – In terms of new shops and health insurance in Texas
A 2006 survey published by the Health Group health insurance U.S. Trade Insurance Plans (AHIP), offers a snapshot of small plans group health insurance throughout Texas and across the country. The survey has once again aroused debate over whether health insurance is affordable enough to allow small businesses to cover their workers, or if changes are needed radicals.
The survey revealed that small businesses – companies with 50 employees or less – in fact paid a slightly lower premium health plans is reflected in an earlier survey of businesses mostly larger.
"The take-home message is that small businesses have affordable options" Said AHIP President and CEO Karen Ignagni. "This is the only survey of its kind in a long, long, small businesses," he said. hypothesis "The 'coverage less "for small business is not what the data show."
The AHIP survey specifically reported that more than 650,000 small businesses showed they paid an average monthly premium of $ 311 for each member, and $ 814 for a family ("family" usually means a family of four).
AHIP officials also noted that the monthly premium per member is below the average premium of $ 335 shown in a previous study by the Foundation Kaiser Family, which focused on companies with three or more workers. The decrease of the premium, AHIP officials said, was due to the cost-sharing, which tends to be more important in the health plans of small businesses, compared with those of big business.
The AHIP survey – which divided the small businesses that have 10 or fewer employees, 11-25 employees and 26-50 employees – also found that premiums fell slightly the size of the company increased.
But the poll picture of a robust insurance market for small companies is misleading. The health insurance industry could do even their customers better mom and dad if legal barriers were not in the way, Ignagni said.
According to the survey, small state enterprises they want more profit. "And we want to customize the benefits to small businesses, but we are prevented from doing so by state mandates," he said. "We could do more."
But not everyone agrees with the findings of the survey. Todd McCracken, president of the National Association Small Business (NSBA), was skeptical about the AHIP survey and its conclusion on small business access to health coverage for their workers. "Certainly I do not think health insurance affordable for small businesses," he said. "AHIP is trying to make a case that is more affordable than people think. "
McCracken said the small-scale enterprises face unique challenges in the coverage of its staff, such as increased health plan administration costs and premiums and less stable. Often a small change in a template – like replacing a worker with a young, healthy older, less healthy – can keep premiums in a constant state of flux. With this exchange rate "more than half of small businesses can not afford health insurance," he said.
The NSBA currently represents about 65 000 companies with an average staff of thirteen employees. McCracken reiterated that lower premiums for small firms demonstrated AHIP surveyed reflect the fact that small businesses are increasingly making their workers pay more for health benefits, either in the form of premium contributions higher or larger deductibles and copayments.
There is also the question of whether the survey could put aside some of the states where it is dominated by the market (not AHIP) Blue Cross & Blue Shield Plans, which features the highest standards of drive higher premiums.
McCracken said his group would support legislation that changed the laws of the state in terms of premium taxes – which do not affect self-insured companies or those who do not buy insurance health – in a more "broad-based," tax, as income or sales tax. But apart from partial laws to cure the problem of affordability, "We continue to urging Congress to look at the bigger picture, "he said. And how should that look big picture?" We want to support something similar to the law recently passed in Massachusetts, where everyone must have health insurance, "McCracken.
About the Author
Pat Carpenter writes for Precedent Insurance Company. Precedent puts a new spin on health insurance. Learn more at Precedent.com
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