Business Group Pushes To Make Health Care Coverage More Affordable

A new organization has come into being to work for small businesses wanting to purchase affordable health insurance for their employees. The Missouri Business and Industry Health Council, a division of Associated Industries of Missouri, is talking to businesses to learn some of the obstacles and to discuss ways of eliminating those obstacles. AIM Chairman of the Board Barry Seward, who chairs the Council, says input from throughout the state will be sought to try to deal with this problem. Seward says the Council will look at ways of improving some of the failed legislative efforts from the past session of the General Assembly and will try to come up with some fresh approaches. Senator Jim Talent addressed the gathering, touting his idea calling for the creation of associated health plans, which would allow employers in certain fields to pool their employees in order to increase insurance buying power.