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Most small businesses fear they won't be able to afford good health insurance (Biz Journals)
By Kent Hoover
More than 60 percent of small business owners aren't confident they'll be able to get health insurance that's both affordable and comprehensive in 2014, according to a survey by the National Association for the Self-Employed .
The online survey of 498 small business owners and self-employed individuals was conducted Nov. 7-20.
Slightly more than half of these people have visited HealthCare.gov , the federal insurance exchange that launched Oct. 1. Of these only 9 percent said they successfully enrolled in an insurance plan for 2014. Another 31 percent said they were able to compare insurance plans on the exchange and are reviewing their options.
The survey found that 27 percent said they weren't able to access HealthCare.gov due to technical issues, but are still interested in getting insurance through this exchange. But another 34 percent who couldn't access the site said they're now exploring insurance options outside the exchange.
Of the small business owners who have not visited HealthCare.gov, 39 percent said they've been able to keep an existing plan, while 39 percent said they're waiting for the website to be fixed. Around 5 percent are covered by a family member's employer-sponsored plan. But 17 percent plan to forego insurance in 2014 due to cost concerns.
The survey results demonstrate the need to extend the open enrollment period through the end of 2014 and delay the penalty for individuals who don't purchase insurance, according to NASE.
"The truth is that the self-employed -- who fall into the individual marketplace -- are finding it increasingly difficult to not only navigate HealthCare.gov, they do not believe they will be able to access affordable health care in 2014," said Katie Vlietstra , dDirector of government affairs for NASE.
The association cited clothing designer Marla Duran , owner of Marla Designs in Bethlehem, Pa., as an example of the problems health care reform's implementation is creating for its members.
"I have found the new health care system incredibly confusing and fraught with misinformation," Duran said. "From increasing health care premiums to cancelation letters, small business owners need more time to explore our options with this new program."
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