Summer may be ebbing in Washington, DC, but things are bound to get hotter when Congress reconvenes on September 8. After occasionally heated exchanges at previously sedate town hall meetings, lawmakers return to the beltway with health care squarely on the agenda. President Obama is scheduled to highlight the issue with an address to Congress on Wednesday, Sept 9.
Lost in much of the debate has been reform’s effect on small business, including private practices in a wide range of medical specialties. Molly Brogan, vice president of public affairs for the the National Small Business Association (NSBA), believes that will change. “I do expect small businesses to be a key topic of conversation as health care reform moves forward,” says Brogan. “The most critical piece to addressing the challenges faced by small businesses—particularly if Congress plans to enforce a mandate on them—is that cost containment needs to play a more prominent role. We also hope they take into account the downturned economy, and the fact that small businesses are not yet bouncing back like they did in previous recessions. Implementing new and burdensome requirements could be hugely problematic.”
From her office in Washington, DC, Brogan says the game has changed “a bit” for the white house and Democratic leadership, with both now facing strong opposition from Republicans, and a different landscape in terms of votes in the Senate. “I hesitate to say they’re on the defensive, but I think they’ve got to really come at this with the goal of educating people on exactly what the plan is, as well as looking for areas for compromise,” adds Brogan. “I think the debate will be shaped significantly by what President Obama says during his Sept 9 address to the joint session of Congress.”
According to the NSBA, 43% of small-business owners cite the cost of health insurance as one of the most significant challenges to the growth and survival of their business. Louis Tenenbaum, a contractor, consultant, and certified aging-in-place specialist (CAPS) in Potomac, Md, sees this phenomenon with the contracting companies he works with to bring accessibility to homes. “The small contracting firms cannot bear the load of health insurance, not only due to cost, but the administrative functions are too much work for these ‘producers’ who do not have realistic ‘front offices,’” says Tenenbaum. “I think President Obama is going to speak clearly and boldly [Sept 9] to win sufficient support among various constituencies, and change the discourse to positive. I hope he lambasts the forces that have been dealing in myth making and disinformation.”
Bob McCoy, RRT, hopes legislators will consult more with small business, but he is not optimistic. “I don’t think Congress is looking at small business or the patients,” says McCoy, managing director of Valley Inspired Products, Apple Valley, Minn. “The focus is on cost, not quality of care. If they looked at what the problem is, the issues are with the industries they are asking to solve the problem—big insurance providers, big corporate hospitals (institutions), and big pharma. I don’t see anyone talking to the little guys who understand the problems.”
Source: Greg Thompson, Allied Health
