Control Spiraling Healthcare Costs in Michigan
The cost of healthcare continues to be the No. 1 problem for small business. Legislation that would allow the Blue Cross Blue Shield-owned Accident Fund to enter the individual health insurance market will be the subject of debate early in the 2008 legislative session. NFIB is concerned that the bills, as currently written, could drive out competition and create a Blue Cross Blue Shield monopoly on health insurance. In addition, many of our lawmakers in Lansing seem intent on making matters worse by supporting healthcare benefit mandates on small business. Benefit mandates are legislation that requires those who offer healthcare coverage in Michigan to include a specific coverage or benefit. The end result is that healthcare insurance rates are driven up for small business. We are also aware that there has been discussion of state initiated programs to alleviate the cost and availability of health insurance for small business through a catastrophic pooling cap and other mechanisms. We are interested in playing a part in such discussions to see what solutions may exist at the state level.
