Himes talks health care with local businessmen
While the big debate on health care reform continues to rage across the nation, small business owners throughout the region held their own conversation last week with U.S. Rep. Jim Himes.
Representing Connecticut's Fourth District, the congressman made a stop at the Valley Chamber of Commerce in Shelton earlier this month to discuss the America's Affordable Health Choice Act, or H.R. 3200, and specifically how small businesses will be affected by the proposed changes. About 70 local business people were in attendance.
Although there wasn't the fire and outrage seen at many of the town hall meetings around the country, emotions were still high over the issues. Many in attendance expressed their concern that the proposed public option in health care could drive up the cost of providing coverage for their workers, perhaps even to the point that it might cripple their businesses.
Small businesses
Himes, an advocate of health care reform including the controversial public option, said he does not support the bill H.R. 3200 in its present form, especially because it puts a burden on small business owners.
As the act is written, businesses with payrolls under $125,000 would not be required to provide insurance. Above that there would be penalties. Pointing out that the payrolls for many small businesses in his district are above that amount because of the high cost of living, the congressman said 'we've got to be very careful about mandates on small business.'
Himes was one of 25 freshmen congressmen who co-signed a letter written by Colorado Rep. Jared Polis who said the legislation as it now stands would adversely affect small businesses. The proposed method to pay for the reform would fall on the backs of the wealthy and on the small businesses. With surcharges and penalties, many of these businesses would be paying upwards of 45 percent of their income to federal taxes.
Still, Himes stressed that health care reform is necessary.
With 17 percent of the national economy devoted to health care and 47 million people in America without health insurance, 'the status quo is no longer acceptable,' he said.
Though he acknowledged some of that percentage of the population represents illegal immigrants, when an uninsured person shows up in the emergency room, 'regardless if the person is illegal or a 23-year-old college grad... we pay for it,' Himes said.
'Worse even is a family without insurance. They can't afford to go and receive primary care. When their young son gets a cough that goes untreated, a year later it turns out he can't breathe, and he has to be treated in the E.R.,' he added.
Himes' two goals with health care reform are to bring down the cost and growth of insurance and to cover the people who aren't covered.
Himes said the public option is critical to reforming the health insurance industry because it adds competition where it's 'desperately' needed.
'I believe the insurance markets in many localities is uncompetitive,' he said, though he stressed that the public option is not meant to push out insurance companies completely.
'If we do that, we've failed,' he said.
