Now is the time to enact small business health care reform

Health care has returned front and center to the political debate. Whether driven by presidential candidates or the bipartisan efforts of our legislators in Washington, D.C., the issue has re-emerged with an even bigger "help wanted" sign in the windows of small-business owners across Florida.

You may have heard the week beginning April 23 is "Cover the Uninsured Week," during which advocates will be promoting solutions to insure the nearly 45 million uninsured Americans. In Washington and state capitals across the country, the "Insert Issue Here" weeks are plentiful. But Florida's small-business owners continue to struggle to access affordable health care, and no designated week will alleviate their growing concerns.

With Florida lawmakers preoccupied with property insurance, property taxes and a significant budget shortfall, the issue of health insurance access has dropped from the radar screen. Unfortunately, the only pieces of legislation moving through the legislature would add several new health insurance mandates putting added upward pressure on health insurance premiums. A national solution is needed.

Health-care reform for small businesses is a crisis issue. Just 43 percent of the National Federation of Independent Business' members can afford to provide health insurance. And, overwhelmingly, small businesses feel this crunch as they try to compete and hire the most talented workers in a highly competitive marketplace.

Small-business owners struggle with annual, doubledigit insurance premium increases that make providing and maintaining coverage progressively difficult. It has been cited that insurance premiums for small groups or single coverage have increased more than 82 percent since 2000, a jawdropping statistic. This is completely unsustainable for the long haul.

How do we cope? And, more importantly, how do we fix it?

Last month, a small but important victory occurred in Washington for small businesses. It happened quietly, with little fanfare and even fewer front-page news stories, but the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan amendment to the budget bill that lays the financial groundwork for market-based, small-business pooling to be allowed in future health insurance proposals. While this may sounds like a lot of D.C. "mumbo jumbo," this amendment helps pave the way for health-insurance reform that our nation's small businesses so badly need, and will help reduce costs, expand access and improve the quality of health care.

Building on this initial step, we must continue to reiterate what Florida's small-business owners want in a federal solution:

Market-based reforms to expand competition and choice in the market to purchase private health insurance

Ability to create pooling arrangements across state lines

Tax incentives to help with the purchase of health insurance

Federal relief from state health insurance mandates

NFIB members are pleased by the ongoing work of our federal legislators to continue discussion on this issue and to look for common ground. The recent progress gives small businesses confidence that a comprehensive approach to providing affordable insurance options can be reached.

On behalf of small business in Florida, here is our message: Help is wanted. Help is needed. There is a real opportunity to enact small-business health care reform, but the window is rapidly closing. The time is now.

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Bill Herrle is executive director of NFIB/Florida. The National Federation of Independent Business is Florida's and the nation's leading small-business advocacy group.