04/16/2002
The first-ever NFIB Missoula Area Action Council met on April 11, 2002 to talk about the skyrocketing costs of health care in the state as well as what the next state budget will look like.Three area Senators joined the breakfast discussion and added their perspective on how to reduce health care costs, provide incentives to encourage small businesses who cannot afford benefits for their employees to purchase that coverage and the status of Association Healthcare Plans (AHPs) in Congress.
The small business owners agreed on several points, the main one being that they want to provide health benefits to their employees, but the costs are increasing so quickly that they either will be unable to keep their coverage or will not be able to afford the coverage all together.
With the Montana State Budget in a surplus now, the Senators were quick to point out that tough decisions need to be made in order to avoid a shortfall next year. They asked the business owners to offer suggestions on a palatable solution for business to increase revenues.
The next meeting of the Missoula Area Action Council will be announced soon. For more information on this meeting or future Montana meetings, please contact Riley Johnson in the Montana NFIB office at 406.443.3797 or via email at Riley.Johnson@NFIB.org.
