Florida Health Insurance Analyst Says Reform Will Change Employee Landscape

JACKSONVILLE - Health insurance reform will have positive affects for older Americans, once reform is implemented, all businesses will be able to hire employees, without the added health insurance overhead. Florida health insurance analyst, Morgan Moran, said in an interview, “health insurance reform will benefit small businesses - and especially older workers. ”

M.I.T. Economist David Autor agrees, “One of the long-standing barriers to hiring elderly workers is healthcare costs, since rates are higher for smaller employers, if that concern were taken off the table, it would be easier for more businesses to hire older workers. ”

The MIT study focused on possible outcomes to reforming health insurance. It showed small business owners did not hire older workers because of added health insurance costs. Moran, a financial advisor for many large Florida companies said, “employers worry about the potential for higher healthcare costs when hiring an older worker — although in most cases, a worker who’s 50 or older will be more productive than someone younger who has less on-the-job experience. ” The health insurance analyst added, “Many Floridian’s will be offered jobs that would not be available otherwise. ”

The health insurance study also identified a few of the problems in the current system in need of correction:

1. Coverage is currently denied to 36 percent of people who try to purchase health insurance directly from insurance companies in the individual insurance market. People are being refused coverage because of a pre-existing condition or dropped from coverage when they become seriously ill.

2. Every year Americans pay more money for less coverage. Employer sponsored premiums have nearly doubled since 2000; this inflationary rate is almost triple wage increases over the same period.

3. Americans in rural areas are finding health care to be less and less accessible. Higher rates of poverty, mortality, and the lack of medical accessibility in these areas create huge health disparities between urban, suburban, and rural America.

4. As stated above, Small businesses can’t afford to offer insurance to their employees. From 2000 to 2007, the percentage of small businesses offering coverage dropped from 68% to 59%, while large firms held stable.

5. Half of all personal bankruptcies are medical expense related.

6. More than 80% of America’s uninsured are working families and - without reform - projections indicate that these numbers will continue to increase.

Morgan Moran is the Editor of www.FloridaHealthInsuranceWeb.com, besides financial consulting, he offers insurance advice and policies from Florida’s top insurance companies.

Contact Information

Morgan Moran

Health Insurance Analyst

Florida Health Insurance Web

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