Do You Or Don’t You : Will you make any changes to the way you provide health insurance as a result of The Affordable Care Act?

Published in the September 2012 issue

11% Yes, I Do

We are looking into different health-care plans to offer to our employees. — Steve Hun, S & S Jewelry, New Martinsville, WV 

I added health insurance as a benefit. I pay half up to a point. I had employees who desperately needed it! — WJ Smith III, Smith Jewelers, Franklin, VA

We changed over to a Health Savings Account and still pay 100 percent for full-time employees that need health insurance. — Sarah Hurwitz, Colonial Jewelers, Frederick, MD

Better benefits. I can afford to more now than the last few years. Specifically, a lower deductible. — Steven B. Goldfarb, Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler, Bellevue, WA

I used to pay 100 percent. Now I’m down to 50 percent and thinking of going to 25 percent. — Ed Lafontaine, Teds Jewelers, Dothan, AL

89% No, I Don’t

We already provide but we had to drop our contribution because rates went way up. — Beth Fluke, Dandelion Jewelry, Philadelphia, PA

We already offer health-care benefits to all employees who wish to participate. — Janice A. Niebauer, Ralph Miller Jewelers & Gallery, Erie, PA

We do not provide insurance but we were considering it until Obamacare came along. I wouldn’t even think of it now unless I had absolutely no other choice. — Jim Sickinger, Sickinger’s Jewelry, Lowell, IN

We have a good plan now. As the national plan develops, there may be changes we make. — Georgie Gleim, Gleim the Jeweler, Palo Alto, CA

We have always paid for 100 percent of our employees’ personal health insurance premiums. — Chuck Kuba, Iowa Diamond, Des Moines, IA

We are under the minimum required number of employees, and there is not yet an affordable insurance option. We had to discontinue medical insurance about 2004 due to doubling rates every year. — Rex Solomon, Houston Jewelry, Houston, TX

We do not provide health care as of yet. We are a new business and are looking at this nightmare right now. — Tim Wright, Simply Unique Jewelry Designs, Yorktown, VA

I pay in full all health-care benefits for my full-time sales staff. Healthy staff have fewer sick days! — Betsy Suhey, Aurum Jewelers & Goldsmiths, State College, PA

We provide full health-care coverage for our staff and pay 75 percent of the premium. We are all pretty happy with this, but premiums and deductibles continue to rise. — Don Bullock, Bullock’s Jewelry, Roswell, NM

We’re able to maintain what we’ve done for the past three years … 50 percent of premiums. Earlier we paid 100 percent. — Jody Bond, Just Gold Jewelers, Stuart, FL

I don’t want to give in to the “socialist takeover” of health care but may be forced to if pricing continues to rise. — Brett Whitaker, Robison Jewelry, Fernandina Beach, FL