Small companies ask, 'How about a raise instead of a medical plan?'

Getting your health care is work isn't a good idea.Since small businesses create most of the jobs, costs at the margin make things very difficult.The Christian Science Moniter has a report on small business and health care:

Encouraging employees not to participate in the company's healthcare plan may be a growing trend among small businesses, says Richard J. Cellini, the head of research at Salary.com Inc. in Needham, Mass., which helps companies manage employee expenditures. In a survey it released last week, Salary.com found that 14 percent of businesses with 200 or fewer employees were enticing employees to not sign up for the company medical plan in order to save the company money. As inducements, they might be offered funds for their retirement plan, for a private Health Savings Account - or just plain cash.

Most people don't get their car insurance at work or their homeowners insurance,why would getting health insurance at work make any sense? You'll notice there isn't a crisis in every rising car insurance premiums,not many politicians are talking about a "single" payer car insurance system.