Massachusetts to Help Small Business

Massachusetts urged to help state small businesses with high insurance costs.
In a column in the Boston Globe (2/5), Scot Lehigh writes on "the burden small businesses toil under in Massachusetts" due to high health insurance costs. Small businesses do not have the buying or negotiating power that municipalities and larger companies have, Lehigh notes, which leads to higher costs and "much steeper" yearly increases. While in the Massachusetts House, "there's a widespread recognition of the problem small businesses face," there is also "considerably less agreement about what to do." Lehigh notes the concerns of different strategies, and concludes, "If Massachusetts wants a vibrant small business sector, this is an issue Beacon Hill can't ignore any longer."