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ONLY ON NEWSCHANNEL 8
Group Spreading Word About Small Business Health Insurance Program
posted 11/06/08
6:31 pm
Gus Amaro owns a small concrete business in Gaithersburg. Even though he only has six employees on his payroll, he can't afford to provide them with health insurance. "We can't compete with the big guys and if we were to offer health insurance, it puts us out of our margins," said Amaro.
Affordable health care has been a problem in Maryland for quite some time so with the help of the general assembly, O'Malley created a new initiative to give coverage to Amaro's employees and others like them. The health insurance partnership will cut the cost of health insurance for employers up to fifty percent. "Especially in these times and for these employers that want to provide this benefit, this provides an unparalleled opportunity," said Rex Cowdry, executive director of Maryland Healthcare Commission.
To be eligible for the program, the employer must have two to nine employees, have average wages below $50,000 and have been without insurance for the past year. O'Malley says in addition to helping small businesses retain their employees, this will also be a benefit to all health care in Maryland. "If we can bring down the large number of uninsured that we have in our state then that reduces health care premiums ultimately because the more you have in the insurance pool the less you have on the back-end. Emergency and hospitalization, that gets baked in to our rates," said O'Malley.
Word of the program is still spreading across the state. As of November 1st, 60 businesses have joined the partnership, providing coverage to about 300 people. Amaro has decided to join and is hoping other businesses in Montgomery County can help increase that number. "This program is going to help us tremendously and I've already talked to my employees and they are all excited about it," said Amaro.
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