Three quick angles in argument of M4A

Business Case: as someone who has helped run a business these last ten years, insurance is an incredible load. The cost increases double digit percentages every year and some of that gets passed on to employees. Their total pay packages have increased but we can’t increase their take home as much as we’d like since we’re feeding the insurance companies for the same (or worse) coverage.

Market Case: If you look at business formation over the last 40 years, it has dropped. There are notable formations in the tech industry, but overall fewer people are becoming entrepreneurs. Weirdly, that bumped up last year. But the economy has actually been less dynamic than it could have been. In part I believe that is because there’s more risk — a broad safety net in terms of health care makes forming a new business less risky.

Labor Case: If there is federalized health care, there’s one less thing that you need to bargain for with your employer.

And that’s before all the personal reasons most people would benefit from a federalized system. I’m really surprised that there has not been a push for M4A from small and medium sized businesses. Our costs have increased by double digits in eight of the last 10 years, and we just missed it this year by bargaining down to a 9% increase. Our costs have more than doubled in that time. It’s ridiculous.