Health Insurance: A Big Concern for Small Businesses

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey recently met with small-business owners from the Retailers Association of Massachusetts (RAM). She noticed they were worried about the rising cost of health insurance. Their forecast for holiday sales was modest, with only a 1. 5% increase expected. Healey introduced her new health insurance commissioner, Michael Caljouw, who used to work for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. She promised to work on making health insurance more affordable. This got the biggest cheer from the crowd.RAM president Jon Hurst had testified earlier that small businesses saw an average 7. 5% increase in premiums this year, and a nearly 10% increase over the past decade. That's much faster than inflation. To tackle this, Caljouw and his team will hold virtual meetings to understand what's driving up health premiums and find solutions. The goal is to create a more affordable and stable healthcare system. Hurst plans to speak at some of these meetings.