Is Lack of Affordable Health Insurance Stifling Entrepreneurialism?In the on going debate about affordable health insurance a lot has been said about small businesses and the difficulty that they have in obtaining affordable healthcare insurance. But in this debate there is a large group of small businesses that a have been grossly effected by the rising cost of healthcare and health insurance in this country, and yet they have been largely ignored - the self-employed. The United States is a country that prides itself on its inventiveness and its entrepreneurial spirit. Yet we actually have the lowest rate of self-employed persons compared to any other industrialized nation. Surveys have found that ideologically, Americans are at least twice as entrepreneurial than Europeans, and yet any given American is only half as likely to actually leave a job and strike out boldly with a new idea and start their own business. One reason: our healthcare system that is largely built around employer-based health insurance. When asked why most people stay in a job rather than going out on their own, the answer is almost invariably because they do not want to lose their health benefits. This fear of losing or not being able to afford health insurance may be holding back the best this country has to offer, and that is a disservice to us all. In other industrialized nations that have significantly higher self-employment rates than here in the states, making the move to working for yourself usually does not put your healthcare benefits in jeopardy. In fact some of the healthcare delivery systems in these countries are actually designed to encourage that kind of entrepreneurial thinking. In some of these countries with publicly funded healthcare systems, a small start-up or individual business is allowed to pay less into the system during the first few lean years that often accompany a fledgling business. As business improves you are required to pay more into the health insurance system. Such a practice benefits the country’s health and its economy, yet no presidential candidate has even suggested such a bold move here. Here, as a sole proprietor if you can even get health insurance, you pay a flat fee regardless of whether your business is just in its infancy, had a good year or a bad one. Opponents of universal healthcare have referred to it as a “bail out” or a “safety net” for the poor and those that can’t make it. That may be true, Universal Healthcare will help the poor, but those who oppose Universal Health Insurance need to be reminded where the term “safety net” comes from. It is the device that allows acrobats and other circus acts to perform their most spectacular feats of daring. Who knows what can be accomplished when the most daring and ambitious of us can be unleashed with the safety net of affordable universal health insurance in place? 1 CommentLeave a comment |
|
Can you tell me some thing about small business health insurance? I am specifically looking to find out about two things: 1) What is the best company for health insurance coverage and 2) What is the most affordable and best value for money? My husband is the sole owner of his small business that deals in computer parts. He would very much like to get health insurance for the two of us, but from what we have looked into and the quotes we have received it really seems incredibly expensive to get decent coverage. There is cheaper options but they don’t seem attractive with their coverage options. We have been told recently that there are better options if we convert my husbands business into an incorporated? Any ideas would be appreciated.
Comment by Sabrina — June 4, 2009 @ 11:58 am