Business Leader React to Healthcare Reform

ALTOONA, BLAIR COUNTY - One of the controversial points in the healthcare reform act is the provision forcing most businesses to provide insurance for their employees. In 2013, businesses with more than 50 workers will face fines if they don't provide health insurance.

Local business leaders that talked to are still trying to figure out what this new law will mean to them. They say the law has changed so many times on the road to getting passed it's hard to know exactly what’s in it. But there are some things they know they don’t want.

Joe Hurd, the President of the Blair County Chamber of Commerce, says it's still hard to decide if the Healthcare Reform Bill is going to be a good thing. The Democrats say it will benefit the small business owner, but the Republicans say it will hurt them because they will have to provide insurance when they never have before. He says the U. S. Chamber of Commerce is against it, and actually thinks the legislation will be repealed. He doesn't know about that but local business leaders he spoke with are against it too.

Bill Thompson of Thompson Pharmacy agrees that it might be too early to tell. But he does say that being forced to provide insurance will hurt his company. He hopes it will end up being a good thing for the nation. But he says he won't know until businesses learn more specifics about the plan. Hurd has the same hopes, but he's not really confident.

Businesses that don't provide insurance could be fined 750 dollars per employee. But some employers say they're looking into if it would be cheaper to pay the government penalty than provide healthcare insurance.