Small Biz hearing live now

http://sbc.senate.gov/

Audio only, but nice to hear. (Great voice for radio.)

Talking about health care and small biz.

Below is a list of participants for the hearing titled "Participants for the hearing titled "Alternatives for Easing the Small Business Health Care Burden." Click on their names to read prepared testimony.


Mr. Tarren Bragdon
Director of Health Reform Initiatives, The Maine Heritage Policy Center

Mr. John Kingsdale
Executive Director, Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority

Ms. Ann Sullivan
President, Legislative Consultant for Women Impacting Public Policy

Ms. Mary Beth Senkewicz
Independent Consultant (Former Senior Policy and Legislative Advisor, National Association of Insurance Commissioners)

Mr. William F. Sweetnam, Jr.
Former Benefits Tax Counsel, Office of Tax Policy, U.S. Department of Treasury

on the Finance committee on the Health Care subcommittee and as chairman of this committee to work for real change. Same thing and same committee set up for Sen. Snowe, the vice chair on this committee.

I have WBCN bleeding into my computer speakers, and listening to anything online at work gives me a massive headache.

If any of you technical geiuses know a way to deal with this, I'd be eternally grateful.

a) I'd been able to listen to more of it

and

b) I wish it was getting more attention from others.

It just ended - JK had just brought up his idea for removing catastrophic costs from the general pool, and how that would save money even in end products, like cars. 20% of health care costs are in 1% of the billings - the catastrophic cases - and by removing this from the general insurance pool, you would knock $1500 off the cost of a car, for example. (He also talked about a tax credit in this mix somehow, and that might be part of the $1500 - not sure.) I confess I missed how he would handle catastrophic cases, but I guess it would be an extension of Medicare. Anyway - interesting and important stuff.

best ideas for health insurance. I believe he meant, as you said, to have the government cover the catastrophic cases, though I don't remember all the details.

Found it: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_31/b3894166_mz029.htm

Will it be available as archived audio later?

http://sbc.senate.gov/20070213.cfm

but the audio doesn't actually start until 26:39, although that appears to be the beginning of the hearing. (guess they turned on the recorder early, or the meeting started late.)

JK's opening statement is here:
http://sbc.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=269218