Kyle Jackson, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, released the following statement today:
“We’re deeply disappointed by the announcement that House and Senate leadership will impose a costly new health-insurance mandate on Georgia’s small, family businesses.
“That’s what’s so frustrating about this. Self-insured corporations are exempt from these mandates. While the state has put money in the budget for the state health benefit plan, we are only in the first year and have zero idea on the actual cost of coverage.
“The fact of the matter is that there will be a new financial burden placed on small employers and their employees. What’s easy for politicians to forget is that there’s only so much money in the till, and these mandates are tantamount to a hidden tax on employers. When the cost of health insurance goes up, employers have to find the money someplace. That could mean reducing everyone’s hours or leaving vacant jobs unfilled or cutting staff.
“Our members look to leaders at the Gold Dome to help control insurance costs, not make things worse. Unfortunately, Georgia’s small employers will be left out in the cold facing higher insurance premiums.”
NFIB/Georgia is the state’s leading small-business association, with over 7,000 dues-paying members representing a cross section of the state’s economy. Learn more at www.NFIB.com/GA, or follow @NFIB_GA on Twitter.
