More Proposals to Increase Small Business Health Costs

The legislature’s Insurance Committee continues to raise new health benefit mandates that are certain to increase healthcare costs in Connecticut.

Health benefit mandates are procedures and services the state requires insurers to include in the plans they offer in the state.

Basically, the more procedures and services that insurers must cover in the plans, the more costly the plans become—especially with the federal Affordable Care Act closing the door to any new subsidized mandates under the ACA until 2016.

At a public hearing last week, CBIA opposed the new health benefit mandates especially because of how they will impact Connecticut’s small businesses. 

State health benefit mandates have no impact on employers that can self-insure–which is typically larger employers. That leaves smaller businesses to bear the brunt, directly affecting the employers that are already struggling with the administrative challenges of federal healthcare legislation. 

Mandates not only cost small businesses in the state but also impact Connecticut’s overall economic competitiveness.

The number of health benefit mandates required by the state—now well over 50—has been taken into account by some national business competitiveness rankings.

Therefore, to help small businesses compete and move Connecticut up in national rankings, lawmakers must address the ongoing costs of the existing health benefit mandates, and avoid any new ones.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Jennifer Herz at 860.244.1921 | jennifer.herz@cbia.com | @CBIAjherz