Small Business owners lacking health insurance

Kent Hoover Washington Bureau Chief

More than half of the owners of very small businesses have gone without health insurance at some point, according to an online member poll conducted by the National Association for the Self-Employed.

Cost is the biggest barrier to getting insurance, the survey found, but nearly a third of those who responded to the poll said they couldn't find simple, easy-to-read information about their health care options.

NASE recently launched an initiative that provides free information on how to choose a health plan and tips on keeping health care costs down.

Meanwhile, the American Medical Association has endorsed a proposal requiring individuals who make at least $49,000 a year to purchase a minimum level of health insurance. The mandate should be extended to lower-income individuals and families if Congress offers refundable tax credits or other health care subsidies, according to the AMA.

"Americans will be healthier because they will get the care they need when they need it," says Dr. Ardis Hoven, an AMA board member. "The societal benefits of having more people insured, leading healthier lives, would be enormous."