(PA) Businesses to demand health-care cost relief

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05099/485467.stm

Scores of small-business owners will be busing to Harrisburg on Monday to demand relief from high health-care costs.

SMC Business Councils, a Churchill-based trade association representing 4,000 small-business owners, organized the trip. The group believes that without changes, the average health-care premium for a worker in Pennsylvania will soon surpass the average wage in the state.

The business group wants reforms in the medical malpractice system as well as laws governing how for-profit insurance companies can price premiums for small employers.

The group also wants a say in what happens to the massive financial reserves that have been accumulated by the Blue Cross insurance companies in the state.

[Erika]

1. Were they one election too late?

Malpractice suits result in no more than a 1% in premium costs. Bush is the big corporatist president. He's given the message to his insurance donors to gouge consumers as much as they can and there will be no punishment.

[hadrons]

2. sounds like these small-business owners should vote more progressive ....

somehow many (not all) will miss the boat