Fixed For America Shared Stories

Insurance industry deems man's wife "high-risk," family cannot afford high premiums and deductible

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:10:04 GMT

My wife has an inherited kidney disease, which she has no health problems with. Nonetheless, insurance compnies have pegged her as a high risk person. The only insurance that we are able to get is the mandated policy required by the state. The premium is so high that the only insurance I can afford for myself, has a high deductible. What upsets my wife and me is that people who smoke, drink or do other harmful things to their bodies get very affordable insurance, while we, pay high premiums and deductibles. As a result, I don't go to doctors for my own problems.

-Frank, L., Wendell, ID

Business owner can only afford to pay for half of employees' insurance coverage

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:41:02 GMT

We used to pay for health insurance but now we can only afford to pay for 50 percent and as a result, some employees opted not to carry insurance at all. We couldn't afford group insurance so those that have insurance coverage, have individual policies. In my case, I had to go to a $5,000 deductable for individuals, $10,000 deductible for family coverage, in order to keep it affordable. It's a gamble, hoping nothing serious happens.

-Robert R., Appleton, WI

Group policies don't help, when you're a small business

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:43:01 GMT

As the owner of a small business with less than 20 full-time employees, I can say the premiums for quality healthcare are outrageous and a strain to afford each month.

In order to obtain and keep quality employees, we pay 100% of single coverage. Yet, with premiums increasing annually, we are finding this harder and harder to do. We also recently found out that when we, or any of our employees covered under our policy become 65, they will be forced to drop their group coverage and become dependent on Medicare. This is due to the fact that our group policy covers less than 20 employees. As a small group, we already pay the highest premiums. This is another example of the disadvantage of being a small business in America.

-Lorrie D., Montgomery, AL

Owning your own business is tough when you cannot afford healthcare

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:44:18 GMT

My husband Tom and I own a packaging and shipping store in Dayton, OH. We have had to purchase health insurance for eight years now. We have tried several types of policies but because of Tom's diabetes, we needed a full coverage policy.

I am 56 and Tom is 60. We pay $1,915 per month for the policy and another $530 per month into the HSA plan. Once Tom's medical expenses come to $2,500, which we pay out of the HSA, then the insurance covers everything. Usually, by April 1st he has reached the deductible. Now think what would happen if we didn't have the coverage. Between the insurance company and the doctors and pharmacy's, the cost to us would be 3-4 times what the agreed upon cost. We have to have the coverage and because of his condition no one else will insure us. Yet, our reserves keep dwindling and I am not sure how much longer we will be able to afford this coverage. What upsets me is that I am paying for health care for large portion of the population (i.e. teachers, firefighters, congressmen etc.) yet, it is coming to the point where I cannot afford it for myself.

Funny thing is that most people think that if you own your own business you are well off but this is not so. Most of us are struggling to keep our heads above water.

-Kris B., Centerville, OH

Self-employment leaves a couple struggling to survive

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:45:53 GMT

A year ago my husband and I started our own business. We started the new business because my husband is disabled and this would let him work at his own leisure. We hoped that in the long-run it would help support us when we retired. Yet, during this time, I suffered from a detached retina and had to have an emergency surgery to save my eye. The doctor performed the surgery by the grace of God alone. Because I was uninsured, the hospital gave me a 30 percent discount on the procedure. Nonetheless, they still left us with a $15,000 bill to pay.

The months I spent recovering left us strapped to the hilt, causing our small business to suffer financially.

Because we were self-employed we had no benefits at all. We were three months behind in paying everything and could not qualify for any help because we had no history of financial need. As a result, we lost our home and ended up living in the basement of the store in to save the business.

It took months to regain some financial stability and to this day we work from 5 am until late in the evening, 7 days a week, to make ends meet. We struggle everyday to come up with the $400 needed to pay for husbands life time prescriptions and are still uninsured and in need of having affordable insurance, so this does not happen again.

It was only by sheer luck that I found a good job outside our business to help us survive. Daily we pray we will have enough to pay the bills this month and hope even more that neither of us gets sick. With one of our children still living at home, this is very difficult.

If a hospital can automatically give me a 30% discount on a procedure for being uninsured, there is no reason why we can’t solve the medical cost issue at the same rate. There has to be a solution, whether it is group buying power or united health care options. Every time a small business owner or any other uninsured person is ill and can't pay their bills it will continue to compound costs for everyone else.

Without NFIB fighting for us who would?

-Pasquarelli, Winchester, NH

Small business owner cannot afford insurance for herself, let alone employees

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:47:06 GMT

I wish I could offer health insurance to my employees but the cost is too high for quality health insurance. As it is, I have a hard time affording insurance for myself.

-Christina H., Garfield Heights, OH

Five employees cost a business $46,000 in health insurance a year

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:49:59 GMT

We have five people working for us. This makes up two single coverage plans, three families, two of which, have children, and one which doesn’t. It costs our company a total of $46,000 per year to insure our five employees. At this rate, we cannot stay in business for long.

-Herbert R., Solon, OH

Business owner struggles with high insurance prices

Thu, 29 May 2008 15:35:31 GMT

Our business doesn't have a problem getting insurance but the price we have to pay for that insurance keeps going up every year at a pace that we cannot continue to pass on to our customers. Therefore, we are left taking home less money in a time when the cost of everything is going up. I believe that the people who pay for their health care insurance also pay for those who don't have insurance and don't pay the hospital after receiving care. Once again the middle class is left to pick up the tab of those who don't/won't work and have no plans of paying for health care or anything else. We have made it too easy for people to live in this country and not contribute to society in any way. There is a way to fix the health care problem but I don't think any politicians are willing to take a stand and risk not getting re-elected.

Small business owners should not be penalized for being small with high insurance premiums

Thu, 29 May 2008 15:42:09 GMT

I have been offering health insurance to my employees since 1995. The cost of my small group is outrageous. I have husbands and wifes that work for me and it is cheaper for an individual policy instead of a family policy. I have 4 individuals, one Employee with child and one family plan. Our premium cost is $3,007.69 a month with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia. This past year our premium went up 18%. I do not feel that it is fair to the small companies that do not have 100 plus employees to be penalized because we are small. I hate to hear when people complain about paying (what I consider small premiums) to have insurance and they work for big companies. Big companies are getting all the "breaks" and I feel they are sticking it to the small businesses. I dread the thought of hiring more employees because I am not sure if I can afford the premium for health insurance. My company pays half of the premium for each employee. We have chosen a POS ( a type of HMO) and our deductibles have had to go up just to afford the premium. Our copays are $40 per visit. My employees are complaining because everything has gone up and up and is becoming unaffordable. What are we to do? We cannot go without insurance in this day and age. Healthcare is just too expensive not to have insurance so they have you either way.

Paying for Employees’ Healthcare Out of Pocket Puts Business and Family at Risk

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:09:48 GMT

I’m the CEO of Woodhaven Physical Therapy. We have four offices in New York City and provide services ranging from physical therapy to acupuncture. Right now, I can’t afford to provide health insurance for my 20 employees. It is ironic that we provide services for other people to be healthy, and we can’t even afford coverage to ensure our own health. We lost our insurance coverage on May 1, 2008, and we haven’t been able to find any affordable options to replace it. Recently, I had an employee who needed medical attention, and I paid $200 out of my own pocket to cover the bill. I need to retain the best employees to maintain the quality of my business, so I promised I would cover the cost of their care until we are able to provide an affordable healthcare option. This also means I am not able to provide coverage for my wife and daughter. I’m always worried about my family and my employees. One trip to the emergency room, and I’ll have to pay thousands of dollars out of my own pocket, putting my business at risk of closing. The healthcare situation is only getting worse. We need insurance companies and the government to come together to create solutions that work for small businesses.

Losing a Valued Employee to the High Cost of Healthcare

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:35:32 GMT

I run Quick Prints in Meridian, Miss., and have been in business 23 years. I have two employees, but I’m not able to provide health insurance for them. In the past, I investigated group plans for us, but finding affordable coverage and a plan for which employees were willing to pay a share was overwhelming. We have a limited choice of companies in our state, so being in a pool or buying across state lines would really help. It has been an uphill battle to find healthcare. I’m fortunate to finally be on Medicare, but one of my employees isn’t so lucky. In fact, I just had to say goodbye to a man who worked for me for six years because he was diagnosed with diabetes and had to leave to find a job that provides health insurance. I’m going to miss him, but I couldn’t afford to keep him. This is frustrating because finding and training new employees is expensive. People are in situations where they are playing Russian roulette with their health. Americans who can’t afford healthcare coverage are going uncovered, hoping they don’t need medical attention. We need healthcare reform, not only so I can keep my employees happy and well, but also so that all of us in this country can live healthy, prosperous lives.

Most Significant Challenge for Small Businesses: Finding Affordable Healthcare

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:29:33 GMT

My company, L&G Industrial Products Inc., is a minority-owned small business that supplies components for the office furniture industry. We are in our 15th year of business and have 30 employees. It is really important to us to recruit and retain the best talent, which is why we provide healthcare benefits for our employees and their dependents. Also, at least half of our employees are friends or family. We make it a priority to provide healthcare for those we care for the most. That said, probably our most significant challenge as a business is finding affordable healthcare. Every year we are faced with double-digit increases, and every year we have to determine whether we have to reduce the benefit or pass along the cost somehow through our company. At this rate, it will be impossible for us to keep up with rising costs unless significant changes are made. Also, as we grow—and we have some significant growth plans—most of the younger workforce we are trying to recruit is looking for healthcare that’s portable. If we could develop a benefit they could take with them, it would allow us to be more competitive. Healthcare is such a huge problem. I don’t think there’s a quick solution, but I think it is an issue that needs to be tackled right now. For that reason, healthcare will definitely be the issue that most influences my vote in the upcoming presidential election.

Healthcare Squeezing Small Businesses – Need Affordable Solutions Now

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:32:30 GMT

My company, JK Creative Printers and and Mailing, has been in business for a century and owned by my family for 38 years. We are a general commercial printer, and we provide health insurance for our employees and their dependents through an 80/20 plan. Currently, the average family pays about $92 a week from their paycheck and we pick up the rest. As costs continue to increase, we are faced with the dilemma of what to do. Should we raise the minimums, hold back on 401(k) contributions, pay and lose profits, or some combination of band-aid solutions? The business we are in is very competitive, so every penny helps. Healthcare is squeezing us hard, but we feel like it’s still something we need to do for our employees. My business requires skilled labor, and it is increasingly difficult to find and keep employees long term. For me to lose a highly skilled worker just because I couldn’t afford healthcare is really hard, especially when someone’s been working for us for 15 years. This has become a constant problem for both employees and employers: losing good people who have to decide where to work simply based on healthcare. Healthcare needs to be affordable, convenient and accessible for our employees, a quarter of whom are from out of state, so it also has to work across state lines for them to get their care. Fixing healthcare must be the top priority for the next Administration. It is the largest single thing that will help me as a small business owner.

Current Healthcare Inefficiencies and Challenges Frustrate Small Business Owner

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:45:03 GMT

I’m the founder and owner of Telcom Corporation, a telecommunications consulting company, and TeLCare Corporation, which performs customer satisfaction surveys. We provide insurance for our employees, but not their dependents. Thankfully, Florida has programs for children’s coverage, but finding affordable healthcare for our employees has been a big challenge. Every year we increase the co-pay, but the premium goes up anyway, and we end up getting less insurance for more money. There are better plans with more options than the one we are currently enrolled in, but they are prohibitively more expensive. Our coverage has already gone from $220 per person to $450 per person in just a few years. Over the coming years, the healthcare crisis will definitely get worse without drastic improvements. I have been very involved in the system because of family illnesses, and I have seen the inefficiency that occurs when cost concerns begin to trump common sense. The current state of the economy owes much to the billions of dollars we spend on an insufficient and generally ineffective healthcare system. Fixing the system should absolutely be a priority for our nation’s leaders. It will take cooperation and hard work to create something workable. But the business owners—and all the citizens of this country—demand no less.

Lack of Coverage Leads Small Business Owner to Ignore Heart Attack

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:47:33 GMT

I own an office products business with six employees. We cannot afford to offer coverage for our employees, but we are lucky that most of them are covered under their spouses’ plans. While I have health insurance now, last year we went through a very scary situation. My wife went back to school later in life to become a teacher. We put off purchasing insurance for us until she got a job, hoping that we could both be on her plan. When she did get hired by a small private school, the insurance costs were prohibitive, so we kept searching for something affordable. During the time we were looking for coverage, I had a heart attack. I dealt with the pain for hours because I kept thinking, “I don’t have any insurance right now. This has to just go away.” But the pain got worse, so I eventually had to drive myself to the emergency room. That trip to the hospital resulted in $200,000 in bills. Worse still, I could have died because I was trying to avoid medical attention. We thank God that I survived and that public assistance helped us with some of the bills. I have been given a second chance, which I am so grateful for, and it makes me realize how we really need reform to make sure that small business people can get the coverage they need at a price they can afford.