As
the health care reform battle heats up on Capitol Hill this summer,
most in the floral industry want employers’ role in providing health
care to remain voluntary, according to the preliminary results of a SAF
health care survey.

With
497 people responding as of Tuesday morning, 64 percent said employers
should be able to choose whether to provide employee health insurance,
as in the current system. Of those responding, 52 percent say their
companies do not provide health insurance, 32 percent provide it only
to full-time employees and 6 percent provide it for all employees.

The SAF health care survey asked respondents their opinions about
the key components of the current proposals. Here’s a snapshot of the
results:

• 83 percent said they do not support an employer mandate. Five percent do and an additional 12 percent are not sure.
  
  


• 57 percent said they do not support an individual mandate; 21 percent do and an additional 22 percent are not sure.
  
  


• 34 percent said they do support a public plan option, which could
  resemble current programs such as Medicare and would be open to
  individuals who do not have access to group coverage through their
  workplace; 34 percent do not and an additional 33 percent are not sure.
  
  


• 63 percent said they do not support taxation of employer-sponsored healthcare; 15 percent do and 20 percent are not sure.

• 52 percent said they do not support a limit on the employee tax
  exclusion of health insurance premiums, and 19 percent do. An
  additional 30 percent are not sure.

SAF’s health care survey remains open, so it isn’t too late to voice your opinion.

The majority, 85 percent, of those responding were retailers; 9
percent were wholesalers, suppliers or importers and 6 percent were
growers.

President Obama promised during his campaign to make health care
available to all Americans, and it is one of his highest priorities
this year. Senate Democrats want to pass health care reform legislation
before the August recess — an ambitious timetable. SAF’s senior
director of government relations, Jeanne Ramsay, gives a synopsis of
the elements likely to be considered in the June 5 Week in Review
story, “State of Play on Health Care Reform = Action in the Summer of 2009.”