Micros Say No Mandates, Frown On Public Option
Jun 29th, 2009 | By Dawn R. Rivers | Category: Politics & PolicyAs lawmakers debate various elements of a health care reform bill, two thirds of microbusiness owners say they are watching closely, with about 60% feeling they have, minimally, a moderate understanding of the issues, according to a survey released last week by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE). The survey was conducted among microbusiness owners as defined by the NASE: firms with fewer than ten employees. Among the demographic information provided about survey respondents, the distribution of nonemployer and employer firm size classes was not provided.
Microbusiness owners are much more concerned about cost containment than they are about either access or choice, by a 3-to-2 margin. Among a pretty comprehensive list of market reform proposals, microbusiness owner respondents registered the most support for Association Health Plans (88.7% support, 63% strongly support) and for a health insurance marketplace or exchange (80.9% support, 55% strongly support). The one market reform proposal that did not win favor with the majority of microbusiness owners was, unsurprisingly, the public option. Just over half of them oppose a government run health insurance program for those unable to otherwise access health insurance, and almost 40% strongly oppose it. Another issue that microbusiness owners seem to feel somewhat strongly about is insurance mandates. In fact, 55% of them frown upon the basic individual mandate and 52.2% give the thumbs down to employer mandates for all full-time employees. Opposition softens somewhat when the pill is sweetened with tax breaks and it softens even more when a small business exemption is added to the mix.
