Small business owners meet Thursday to discuss health care reform at the Clarion Hotel in Columbia.
/ Adam Pinsker
COLUMBIA (WACH) - A year ago this week President Obama signed a sweeping health care reform bill into effect. The bill requires most employers to provide health insurance for their employees and mandates individuals carry insurance.
Americans remain sharply divided on whether government mandated health insurance is a good idea. A Rasmussen poll says 53 percent want to repeal the law.
Dozens of small business owners around the state met with a Department of Health and Human Services official Monday to talk about how the law has affected them over the past year.
Charles Williams owns an health care IT company in Charleston. He came to the meeting to find out more about a tax credit available to companies with less than 25 employees.
"It enables us to offer some kind of health benefits," he says.
Williams says he plans to hire more employees this summer.
President of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber Frank Knapp says health care reform is helping small businesses.
"The world hasn't come to an end, as predicted. Small businesses are growing out there," he says.
"In fact, statistics show small businesses are the ones adding jobs that are helping our economy nationwide."
Do you think health care reform is working? Please leave your comments to let us know.
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