Catamount Health: A Solution for Vermont Small Businesses

Rising health care costs are forcing small businesses to make changes in the health care coverage they provide for employees, such as increasing employee contributions and deductibles. This telephone survey, conducted in March-April 2008, found that small businesses in Vermont have experienced increases in their health insurance premiums over the past several years and would be interested in enrolling in Catamount Health, a private health plan currently offered to uninsured individuals, if it were made available to them.

The survey found that:

• 57% of the respondents offer health insurance for their employees or, as self-employed individuals, have insurance on their own.
• 73% of those who offer health insurance do so because they feel they have a responsibility to offer it
• 91% of those who offer health insurance and pay a portion of the premiums have experienced increased costs over the past 3 years, and half have changed to a high-deductible plan
• 6 in 10 businesses currently offering health coverage said they would be at least somewhat likely to drop their existing plan and switch to Catamount Health, if the plan were available and affordable to small businesses
• 8 in 10 businesses not currently offering insurance would be at least somewhat likely to enroll in Catamount Health

 

This telephone survey of 400 businesses with 50 or fewer employees was conducted by Woelfel Research from March 19 to April 2, 2008. For more information, contact Katherine Bridges at 202-434-6329. (21 pages)