Health Care Reform bill

The impact on small businesses:

The House Bill:

• Requires employers to pay for part of benefits
• exempts small businesses with payroll LESS THAN $500,000
• Penalizes up to 8% of payroll if business doesn't comply

The Senate Health Committee Bill:

• requires employers to OFFER coverage
• Requires employers to pay 60% of premium cost
• exempts employers with FEWER THAN 25 workers
• provides credit to small businesses

Now there is no indication whether when they say 'employees' if they are talking Full-Time or Any-Time employees .... this could have unforseen results that they won't like either.

If it is only for Full Time employees, the government may find more businesses switching to PT jobs for all but administration - and then they will find people will be getting salaried ending any overtime they may have earned in the past meaning some will actually be getting a pay 'cut'.

But since there will no longer be a FT labor force outside the admin part of the business - unions will be pushed out.

If it doesn't matter, yes you may find businesses hiring more FT workers - but then that will mean fewer people employed at a company which will raise up unemployment rates. After all - if you have to pay the insurance for some one whether ethey are FT or PT, it is cheaper to pay for only one employee instead of two.

oops -- someone didn't think this thru, huh?