Fighting health care act hurts small businesses

As an owner of a food innovation business with a staff of employees, I am finding the health care rhetoric and actions by our elected representatives quite inadequate.

We provide health care insurance to our employees and pay 100 percent of the premiums. It is our third largest line item behind salaries and rent. So I am obviously open to things that keep the cost of this benefit in check.

Here are a few real-life facts from my business.

Our annual rate increased just 1 percent last November. Yes, 1 percent. Why? Our coverage met the minimums prescribed in Obamacare. We were not penalized for having to bring substandard coverage in line with the standards of the legislation.

Last week, we received a rebate of 4.2 percent of our 2011 annual premium.

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