Premium Costs A Barrier To Insurance For Micro-Business
One Quarter Of Entrepreneurs Currently Uninsured
Washington, D.C., March 10, 2009 -- High health insurance premiums and other health care costs are forcing many
small businesses owners to go without health insurance. In a recent online poll
by the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE), a quarter of
respondents were currently uninsured, and almost three-quarters of respondents
(71 percent) have been uninsured at some time.
Cost seems to be the main
barrier to insurance for the self-employed and micro-business owners, with 29
percent of currently uninsured respondents citing "cost/affordability" as the
main reason they were without health insurance. Forty-four percent of
respondents indicated that the main reason they had been uninsured at some point
in time was because they were unable to afford premium costs.
Close to
half of survey respondents (41 percent) indicated that they would be most
encouraged to purchase health insurance if insurance premium costs became more
affordable. Eleven percent of respondents also indicated that they would be more
likely to purchase health insurance if they could obtain insurance regardless of
health status.
Methodology:
Posted in the members-only portal on the
NASE Web site and advertised in the NASE's eNewsletter, the survey was available
for members to take in February 2009. Over 240 NASE Members opted-in to the
non-scientific survey and members were prohibited from taking it more than
once.
Please contact Kristin Oberlander by phone at 202-466-2100 or by
email at koberlander@nase.org with additional questions or to schedule an
interview.
About the NASE
The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, bringing a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy. The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's Web site at www.nase.org. |