State officials say Georgia has one of the highest rates of uninsured residents in the nation: 18 percent. Most of those people work. But, many of them work for small companies that do not offer health care benefits.
"They want to provide this kind of coverage for their employees," Perdue says of small businesses. "It helps them to compete for the best talent. Morally and ethically, it's something that they want to do. They've literally been priced out of the market."
Perdue says small businesses should join together to buy health insurance for their employees under state-run plans. While state health officials describe the proposal as a "work in progress," they said it would include a plan that provides the same benefits that state employees get now. Companies could choose to offer cheaper alternatives.
Perdue says the state, the federal government, employers and employees would share the costs. The plan would target lower-income workers, although their better paid colleagues could get the same benefits at a higher cost.
If the legislature and the federal government support it, Perdue says the plan could go into effect by July.
Here are some highlights of the plan:
"They want to provide this kind of coverage for their employees," Perdue says of small businesses. "It helps them to compete for the best talent. Morally and ethically, it's something that they want to do. They've literally been priced out of the market."
Perdue says small businesses should join together to buy health insurance for their employees under state-run plans. While state health officials describe the proposal as a "work in progress," they said it would include a plan that provides the same benefits that state employees get now. Companies could choose to offer cheaper alternatives.
Perdue says the state, the federal government, employers and employees would share the costs. The plan would target lower-income workers, although their better paid colleagues could get the same benefits at a higher cost.
If the legislature and the federal government support it, Perdue says the plan could go into effect by July.
Here are some highlights of the plan:
- It could cover approximately 380,000 employees of small businesses that do not offer health insurance.
- Employees must make less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level to qualify. For example, a family of four would have to make less than $62,000.
- The state government would pay $20 million, with the federal government, employers and employees paying the rest of the estimated $182 million tab.
- Georgia would be the first state in the nation to administer such a plan, although some other states require small businesses to offer health insurance benefits.
