Small Business Owners Worry About Health Care - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Small Business Owners Worry About Health Care

President Obama's health care plan has many small business owners worried about their future.

Jon Schaeffer spoke with some business owners about impacts from the Affordable Care Act.

Small business owners throughout Bismarck are worried about the Fiscal impact that Obama's Health care plan could have on them and their customers.

Kelvin Hullet says, "One of the real concerns we have as well on the cost issue is that beginning in 2013 we're going to see an 87 billion dollar increase to our insurance companies and we're really concerned those costs are going to get passed down to consumers."

The costs being put onto business owners will force many to reconsider their business plans.

Tamie Schmidt, a Small Business Owner" You know maybe they might not grow as fast as they could or hire all of those employees like they originally they could because it's added expense so they need to re-align their expenses or budget."

The main problem is they don't truly know how the costs will effect them or even what the cost actually is.

Steep me a cup of tea co-owner Jerry Hintz put his plans to expand to Fargo, Grand Forks and Sioux Falls on hold....

Jerry Hintz says, "We don't know enough about it yet to even make a solid decision whether moving forward is a good idea or not. Once we have knowledge of what's in the plan on both sides of it on the health insurance offer we can through our insurance agency and what we have to pay for through our steep me a cup of tea we can start making decision on what will benefit us as far as growth."

For Jerry there is also a moral issue.

Jerry Hintz says, "Forcing my business to support Birth control morning after week after type pills is not something I'm willing to do in my life. it's none negotiable. That the moral aspect of it."

Full implementation won't happen until January of 2014 potentially leaving Jerry and other business owners waiting a long time to see the effects.

Kelvin Hullet with the Chamber says the Act did a lot of good things including provides coverage for kids and students age 26.