Limbaugh weighs in as small business health insurance premiums jump 85%

When small business owners in Santa Cruz, California, shared their frustration about the Affordable Care Act hiking their health insurance premiums by 85%, commentator Rush Limbaugh noticed, mentioning my story in the Santa Cruz Sentinel twice in his broadcast. The strength of the story came from the willingness of local business owners to share their premium numbers for 2015 and 2016, which resulted from my deep roots in the community covering business and health issues. Here is the story. 

Here is Limbaugh's take.

Afterward, other business owners wrote in to say they too are facing huge premium increases, one owner who has offered health insurance as a benefit for 20 years reporting a 107% increase.

Employer-provided health insurance in Santa Cruz County is the most costly of 274 metro areas, according to a consumer study, due to lack of competition.  You can check where your area rank here.

HR1624 was signed into law by President Obama to make small business premium relief possible but California is one of the states that has not taken any action, so these stunning rate hikes could be seen by small businesses across California, especially in areas of high-cost health insurance.