Fewer Uninsured Than Insured Female Business Owners Consider Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage Very Important
About 50% of uninsured female business owners said that employer-sponsored health coverage is very important, compared with 83% of those with health insurance, according to a survey by Blue Cross of California and the National Association of Women Business Owners-California, the Orange County Register reports. In terms of attracting and retaining employees, 47% of the uninsured women said offering health insurance coverage is very important, compared with 77% of the insured women.
According to the Register, 78% of insured female business owners currently pay more than half of each employee's health insurance costs (Norman, Orange County Register, 10/4). About 28% of uninsured women business owners said they would consider contributing paying more than half the cost of each employee's health insurance (Blue Cross of California release, 9/21).
California's 1.2 million female business owners -- more than any other state in the country -- employ 2.8 million people, according to the Register.
Blue Cross spokesperson Deborah Lachman said, "We developed the survey to gauge women business owners' health insurance preferences in an effort to consider plans that may better address their financial and health needs" (Orange County Register, 10/4).