tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8764377.post-1118444440016525342005-06-10T17:55:00.000-05:002005-06-18T13:37:55.383-05:00Texas Coalitions News Video<a href="http://www.kxan.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?clipid1=442499&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Helping+Small+Businesses%2C+Its+Employees&amp;d1=117167&redirUrl=www.kxan.com&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage" target="_blank">Helping Small Businesses, Its Employees</a><br /><a href="http://www.kxan.com/global/video/popup/pop_playerLaunch.asp?clipid1=442499&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Helping+Small+Businesses%2C+Its+Employees&d1=117167&amp;redirUrl=www.kxan.com&activePane=info&LaunchPageAdTag=homepage"></a><br /><br />06/07/05 - 10:18 pm Link AvailableHelping Small Businesses, Its Employees<br />The rising cost of health insurance has crippled many small businesses impacting everything from job growth and the wages of Austin workers to what businesses can do in the community.<br />A new program aims to give small businesses a boost when it comes to providing health insurance at a lower cost for their employees.<br />Chuck Huffacker is a partner at Austin's Grape Vine Market.<br />He knows providing good health insurance for the shop's full time employees is critical if he wants to thrive and remain competitive, but the rising costs have forced him to make tough choices.<br />"It's really escalated a lot to the point where now we have to start looking at how we are going to combat that expense?" Huffacker said.<br />When the market opened in 1999, it cost $36,000 that year to cover the insurance premiums of 10 employees. This year that price tag jumped to $70,000.<br />"Do we have employees start paying in on it? Do we drop our coverage down so that it's a lot more out of pocket for our employees which we don't want to do?" Huffaker said.<br />As it is, insurance companies can charge small businesses up to 20 percent more than larger ones, but a first of it's kind coalition is about to change that.<br />"This is good for the city of Austin. This is good for society. This is good for all of us," Ron Mullen with Texas Coalitions Inc. said.<br />The Greater Austin Chamber has joined forces with Texas Coalitions Inc. The partnership allows employers with less than 50 employees to join forces with other small companies to get better health insurance rates.<br />"This is the most exciting thing that I've seen since I've been in the business to sincerely help small businesses save on their health insurance," Mullen said.<br />One small business has already cut its insurance costs by $17,000. It's money the Greater Austin Chamber hopes will be used to grow small businesses and the local economy.<br />The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce says the rising cost of health insurance has been the number one concern for small business owners and a reason many have not hired.<br />For more information on this program, check out <a href="javascript:OpenWin(" htmlheight=",width=,location=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,toolbar=no');"">the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce Web site.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.texascoalitions.com">www.texascoalitions.com</a>Texas Coalitions, Inc.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01997504781761595724noreply@blogger.com