I am a creative writer. I’m not a political writer. I am a small business owner. I am not a politician. As a rule I do not talk about politics on social media or my blog. I have avoided even a hint of politics for two reasons. First, because politics are unrelated to the topics I cover in my books. Second, because expressing my political view would inevitably open me up to personal attacks from the opposing view holders. Contrary views today get people labeled as racist, haters, white suburban moms (said with disdain) and so much more. Just having a different voice today can be hazardous to your mental health.
If you are a small business owner please read this blog post, you can unfriend me, cut me off and label me after you read this piece of news. Today I am breaking my own rules. I’ve had enough. Let me be clear. I am not a racist. I am not a hater. I am the business partner of my husband in our family business and we are under attack.
War on Family Business
Here’s the news: The Mom and Pop businesses that built America no longer qualify for company health insurance. In 2014 small businesses run exclusively by family members will be sent a cancellation notice when their small company health insurance plans come up for renewal. Let me clarify. All businesses that have employees that are related by family will be disqualified from gaining health insurance as a small business due to changes caused by ObamaCare.
Sidebar: For anyone who wants to label me a racist for calling the Affordable Care Act by the name ObamaCare let me refer you to the presidential debate between Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney on October 3, 2013.
Mitt Romney: “. . . And if not, I’ll get rid of it. “ObamaCare” is on my list. I apologize, Mr. President. I use that term with all respect.”
Barrack Obama: “I like it.”Sadly, the spin doctors of today have tried to label people as racist today for calling the Affordable Care Act by the nickname the President Obama, countless politicians and supporters called it before it became an unpopular law.
Back to my point about ObamaCare
I listen to several hours of news coverage daily. I thought I knew all the bad news there was to know about ObamaCare. Imagine my surprise today when my search for a new health insurance plan for our small business uncovered the fact that our plan, and millions of others, will be notified of our cancelation when we come up for renewal in 2014. The only way around this imminent calculation is to hire another employee. That employee must not be in any way, shape or form related to either of the owners of the family business. Barring a miracle economic turnaround and health insurance overhaul in America this small business will not be hiring new employees. How about you?
How I Stumbled Upon this Information
In November of this year our health insurance went up significantly when we renewed. The price is too high to sustain. I called and emailed my insurance company several times requesting a quote for a lower level of coverage to help reduce the price. My phone calls and emails went unanswered. I started to look for other insurance companies since the next absurdly over-priced payment is about to be due. That is how I found out today that no insurance company can legally sign up our small business for health insurance today because the new portion of the law goes into effect on January 1, 2014 even though most people won’t feel its effects till your 2014 policy period ends and you try to renew it.
As for our family business we will not be using the ObamaCare Marketplace to find new insurance. If anyone has had luck finding good options outside of the ACA please do share in a comment. We have found that not only have the premiums gone up but the so have the deductibles per individual and per family. Why we overhauled a system that was working to implement this new broken disaster?
The war on family-run businesses has taken aim and hit our small business hard. Since this is not being shared by the media please share this information with your friends who own family-run businesses. We are all about to be dumped into the individual market. It is only fair to give family business owners a warning in advance.
For those wondering what our family decided to do about health insurance you can read my update here.
Thank you Kayla for posting this. I must admit that in my younger years I was too busy (I felt) raising my children to pay close attention to what our government was passing in Congress and not speaking up. It saddens me how much debt they are creating that my children and grandkids will be left with because of the decisions they are making. It amazes me how quickly they have been able to destroyed our health care system, and what it is doing to most Americans and businesses. I will post this on my personal Facebook page along with my business Facebook page.
Thank you for sharing Margo. It is amazing how quickly things have turned in the wrong direction. I think that if most Democrats truly looked at the laws that have been passed under this administration that they wouldn’t support them. The progressiveness is far past what most Democrats believe in.
Thank you Kayla- too any people are still unaware of what disaster is waiting them when all of these new, and faulty policies come into action. There are certainly a few set to gain, but the majority of hard working, employed individuals, and especially those with familes, will be hit so hard that, financial collapse is a true possibility.