If it weren't already clear that the majority of small business owners are opposed to specific rules outlining how their employee benefit offerings need to be structured, a recent survey of Utah-based entrepreneurs may serve as the convincer.
Of the 422 business owners who responded to the poll, which was conducted by the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce, approximately three-quarters said that they were against or equivocating about the wisdom of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
That's not to suggest that employers don't think health coverage is important. The poll found that 90 percent of respondents thought it ought to be considered a top priority. However, just 20 percent said that the health reform law would lead to better results for workers and their health plans.
The survey was unveiled Sept. 10 during the Salt Lake Chamber's Utah Small Business Summit, the newspaper reported.
The survey also found that many business owners had some confusion about the health reform law. More than 80 percent said they were unclear about the requirements that they had to meet in order for plans to have all of the necessary "essential health benefits" as directed by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Meanwhile, HHS indicates that Utah residents are benefiting because of the ACA. It estimates that nearly 360,000 Utahns will be eligible to receive coverage through the health insurance marketplace, scheduled to open on Oct. 1 and nearly 333,000 people in the Beehive State should be able to qualify for tax credits or subsidies.
Of those who are uninsured in Utah and eligible for coverage through the exchange, approximately 40 percent are between the ages of 19 and 34, according to HHS data.
