The ongoing health care debate has caused some heated emotions, disagreements, great discussions on very important issues, and plenty of misinformation. Unfortunately, the most important issue of all has gotten lost in all the noise. 

We all need to remember that the real crisis is what’s already happening.  Today, the average price for health insurance premiums is $13,000 a year.  If we do nothing about reforming our health care system, this amount will double over the next decade to $25,000 and many more Americans will be forced to join the uninsured.  This is a real crisis.

Many of the discussions about health care reform focus on the 47 million uninsured Americans who do not have health insurance.  But remember, health care reform is just as important to the majority of Americans who already have health insurance.  Doing nothing results in a crisis that we cannot afford. 

Here are the facts:

• Rising health care costs are crushing American companies – particularly small businesses
• In 1960 U.S. firms spent 1.2% of their payroll on health insurance.  In 2006, they spent almost 10%.
• Health care costs put U.S. firms at a disadvantage to foreign companies and health care costs destroy U.S. jobs
• Escalating health care cost have been passed on to the middle class in the form of higher prices for products/services and flat wages.  Money that would have gone to raises has instead been spent on health care premiums that have doubled over the past 9 years.
• Small businesses pay 18% more per worker for health care than large firms for the same benefits.  They pay more because they have a smaller risk pool and have to absorb higher broker fees and administrative costs per worker.
• Businesses that offer employees health insurance:
  • Only 49% of firms with 3-9 employees offered health plans in 2008
  • 78% of firms with 10-24 employees offered health plan in 2008
  • 99% of firms with 200+ employees offered health plans in 2008
• This year health care expenditures are expected to account for about 18% of the GDP. Without reform, that number is projected to rise to 28% in 2030, and to 34% in 2040.

We all need to make sure that health care reform gets started this year.