Come to the aid of small business

By: The Editorial Board | GoDanRiver
Published: February 04, 2012

To the editor:

It seems like the only thing our leaders in Washington can agree on is that we need jobs. And we know that small businesses create 65 percent of the new jobs in this country. So, it seems logical that our legislators in Washington and in Richmond would want to make things easier for small businesses to create jobs. One way to do that is to alleviate the burden of skyrocketing health insurance costs. Small businesses pay on average 18 percent more for health care than large corporations.

If we want everyone to have quality coverage at an affordable price, then we need to create a way for small businesses to combine their buying power and save money. That is what the Virginia Health Benefits Exchange — currently under consideration by the Virginia General Assembly — will do. Each year as we attempt to negotiate health insurance for our employees, the cost increases and the amount of coverage decreases. There is no real competition, and therefore we are at the mercy of the insurance companies who serve our area.

One of the core principles our country was founded on involved a free market place and open competition. Other companies are held to these standards; why not insurance companies?

I urge Dels. Danny Marshall and Donald Merricks, along with Sen. Billy Stanley, to give small business owners a break and support bills HB357 and SB383 to create a Virginia Health Benefits Exchange.

KAY CRANE

Danville

Editor’s note: Crane is CEO of Piedmont Access to Health Services in Danville.