Click here to listen to the broadcast of You Tell Me on KTBB AM & FM, Friday, Sept. 30, 2011.
President Obama speaks often on the role of small business in the American economy. He is forever saying that small business is the engine of job creation and he is right.
But you will never hear the president tell you about the 21-page document that landed on my desk this week. It pertains to the renewal of my company’s group health plan.
It is impenetrable.
I have read through it twice and still don’t know what it really says other than if I sign it and in so doing certify that what I’m saying with respect to it is true and it later turns out that I was wrong, I’m in trouble.
I’m willing to stand behind what I say but with respect to the questions being asked in this document, driven by Obamacare, I’m not sure I know what the answers are.
Nevertheless, where I’m required to sign my name it says, in part;
“I, the undersigned, a duly authorized representative of the policyholder named above (herein called “Policyholder”) hereby represent that Policyholder is knowledgeable as to the standards associated with a “grandfathered health plan” as set forth in the Affordable Care Act (herein called the “Act” and or “ACA”) and applicable regulations arising from and/or contained therein; and that the information contained in this form with respect to Policyholder’s grandfathered health plan status is true, accurate and complete to the best of representative’s knowledge and belief as of the date hereon…,”
Etc., etc.
The form then requires the attachment of a schedule showing detailed health plan information for each covered employee. Any discrepancy between what I put on this schedule and what may have actually been the case on March 23, 2010, and what may have happened since March 23, 2010, subjects the entire renewal application to be ruled void. Then it’s going to cost me. Or so I understand by reading the thing but, as I say, I’m not really sure.
Such documents are hitting the desks of millions of small business owners as they confront the first renewals of their health plans under Obamacare. I will, of course, get my insurance broker to explain this thing to me but I can’t help but believe that this is only the first of many such incomprehensible Obamacare-driven processes with which I’m going to be confronted.
And oh yes, the premium is going up by a mere seven times the rate of inflation. (So much for bending the cost curve downward.)
Wax eloquent all you want about small business, Mr. President. The truth is that if I weren’t already in business, I’m not sure how enthused I’d be about starting. And if my company had 49 employees today, it would be damned hard to get me to hire the 50th, thereby empowering you to further bust my chops and take my money.
And that’s why the economy is stuck, Mr. President. You’re piling dead weight like this on the backs of guys like me and our backs are breaking.
Yet you need guys like me or this economy is not going anyplace. If you, sir, ever had to fill out and sign one of these forms, you’d understand. But, of course, that will never happen.
You think I need you to spend $500 billion in new “stimulus” money. I need no such thing.
I just need you to get off my back.
I’m begging you.
REPEAL obamacare –
Investigate ALL stimulus an where it went and how it was spent until EVERY dollar is accounted for
STOP all federal grant/funding of green jobs until present fiasco is resolved
this is just a few suggestions from an old old lady
mk
You offer your employees benefits? Wow, what a rube you are! In fact, why do you even bother to have employees? You can robo control that station and forward all the calls to India. Duh!
roger is right and that is too bad – too many of our jobs have been outsorced to india or where ever and obama sees that our tax money goes to support his contributors like SOLYNDRA who then go bankrupt and lay off 1100 people who will probably get 3 years of unemployment insurance so they do not have to bother looking for a job – what idiocy is that – ss has not had a raise in over 2 years but medicare premiums keep increasing each year and congress gets its annual automatic selfgranted raise each january and all the perks and benefits they so generously gave themselves (charlie rangel failed to report income or pay taxes on that income for 17 years, irs worked out a payment plan with him – no jail no fine still in congress and now congress is honoring him as a hero of some sort) EVERY INCUMBENT needs to be voted out for at least one term until ALL positions are filled with new folks AND every agency needs to be held accountable for any funds it gets – no matter how small an amount or how large and ALL contributors who give more than $100 or give more than once need to be printed in the newspapers across AMERICA once a month until EVERY one knows who is supporting which candidate and for how much – keep up the good work reporting and keeping us informed of the fiasco that is going on in DC
I’m currently in the process of acquiring a new manufacturing business. I’m purposely writing my business plan to avoid having more than 25 employees in the first 3-5 years due to Obamacare as to avoid the mandatory providing of health insurance. Further, this is the 5th acquisition or start up I’ve been a part of and I can honestly say it’s with the greatest hesitation I enter in to this one becaue I am litteraly afraid of my goverment. I don’t have a partner in my goverment rather I have an advesary hell bent on looting whatever success I might see. The American Dream now compes with an Obama nightmare attached…
THANK YOU Jason for expressing the opinions so many of us have and i would add that obama seems detrmined to turn AMERICA in to another 3rd world country ruled by muslims and sharia law – he keeps appointing “known” muslim brothrhood folks and invites them to whitehouse and refuses to celebrate “national day of prayer” but did find lots of time/friends to celebrate ramadan – hmmmmmm