An online survey of Missouri small businesses finds the cost of health care is a huge concern – above taxes, energy, and other issues. The survey, conducted in late May and early June on behalf of the Missouri Foundation for Health by Small Business Majority, involved a sample group of 200 Missouri small businesses.
The findings of the survey were revealed in a conference call with Missouri reporters. The key message from participants is that health care costs are simply too expensive for small businesses.
“What we learned confirmed, basically, what we already knew as small business owners and sort of anecdotally,” said Small Business Majority CEO John Arensmeyer. “That the high cost of health care is just killing small businesses in Missouri.”
Arensmeyer says most of the small businesses surveyed like much of what they are hearing being discussed in Washington, D.C., especially the call for eliminating higher premiums or disqualification for pre-existing conditions.
“Another thing that’s really part of all the proposals is very significant insurance market reforms,” said Arensmeyer. “In particular, eliminating the restriction on buying health insurance or cost based on health insurance based on health status or pre-existing conditions.”
While there is a desire for improvements, Missouri businesses express an interest in maintaining choices.
“The results of this survey show that small business are not all of one opinion, obviously,” said Doctor James Kimmey, President and CEO of the Missouri Foundation for Health. “But that they support reform, that they would like the reforms to retain choice, that they would like the reforms to guarantee coverage to their employees in one form or another – whether it’s in a free market model or in a single payer model or whatever.”
The survey includes data from 13 other states.