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Women Business Owners Ponder Health Reform

Essex, Vermont - November 8, 2009

Women own more businesses than ever before, and Sunday the Women Business Owners Network began its Fall conference with health care much on their minds.

The Vermont-based Women Business Owners Network has been around for 25 years and is holding its annual two-day meeting at the Essex Culinary Resort. The theme is Riding the Road to Economic Recovery, but they're also talking about health care following passage of the big bill in the U.S. House. Business owners in general are caught between rising health insurance premiums and concerns from some that government insurance will actually drive up the cost of doing business. We sampled a few opinions.

Susan Lackey, the owner and sole employee at Perfect Image Fashions said, "I'm concerned when the government proposes the concept that this is going to be a wonderful way to provide health care for everybody and isn't that great. But everybody's going to have to pay, so I think we need to look at that discussion. "She worries that a big mandate that hits small business could hamper future business expansion.

Jeannie Lynch, who runs the Key Bank's Key4Women program, said, "Most of these people are privately doing their own company, so they go without health care. And you know, the Chamber offers health care coverage and so they're allowed to get it that way. But it's high premiums. So it is a very hot topic."

The women say they're considering seeking group status to permit their organization to buy health coverage as a group, which requires review by state regulators under Vermont's Act 52.

Aline Gadue of Gadue Cleaners said, "The problem is, what we have now is unsustainable. My employees' health insurance is going to go up eighteen percent this year. We had to switch to a different plan."

Stacey Dumas, a health insurance broker who also serves on the WBON board, said, "Certainly there's more mandates, more state mandates. You may know there's a new mandate for colonoscopies."

Most of the women business owners say they'll need more time to digest the House-passed bill, and of course, follow any changes that come in the Senate as it takes up the legislation. But they say any new mandates inevitably are gong to cost money, and the productive sector will pay for it.

Andy Potter - WCAX News