This retired small business owner thinks Obamacare is a step in the right direction

This retired small business owner thinks Obamacare is good for America. We get told every day that we are now a part of the new global economy, but our competition is from companies in countries with some form of health care for all. For the rest of the first world, health care is a social expense, while for us it is a business expense.

I played that game as a small business owner, but the deck was stacked against me. I was charged 200% of the rate for a large business, giving advantage to my larger competitors let alone off shore interests.

I never minded paying taxes: they were predictable and I could plan for them. But insurance inflation was out of control and killing many of us in the small business community. While bigger businesses were dropping coverage levels in order to leverage profit, we, the real employers of America, were dropping coverage to stay alive. In 2008 GM pointed to this flaw in our global logic and was summarily gob smacked. Like GM or not, they were right.

Now, the imperfect beginnings of a solution that serves employee and employer is before us. “Back to the drawing board” is political-speak for “bury it alive”. We can spend all day nit picking the small stuff while the elected who are beholden to BIG campaign contributors pull strings to neglect the many and profit the few.

I, for one, believe in American Ingenuity: that we should launch the project to create a yet unseen but soon to be envied strategy to ensure access to health care for Americans, and bloom as an economy within our borders and in the world. No guts, no glory. If you agree, contact your congressional delegation now.

Death by a Thousand Paper Cuts: American Healthcare

Death by a thousand paper cuts is the biggest health risk in America today.

The most recent slice: delay the requirement for employers of over 50 to either offer health insurance or give employees access to the state health insurance exchanges.

This wound to wellness is a strategic stall. Business was encouraged by some to resist preparing, the low penalty cost of non compliance made the risk acceptable, and group-think empowered them to fight until the 11th hour.

Strike another victory by temper tantrum. The kings of part time and minimum wage threw themselves on the ground, kicked and yelled, and held their  breath until their lobbyists won the day – with more paper cuts.

The states who prepared exchanges in compliance with the law will have a year to wait for the huge numbers of employees that were expected, removing the economy of scale and bargaining power of health insurance consumers AGAIN.

This is just more smarty pants political gaming, the kind that led to a weak and confusing bill in the first place. Death by a thousand cuts has been the opposition plan all along.