Benjamin Conley Quoted in the Daily Journal
"Health Reform Still Fuzzy to Business Owners"

Seyfarth Shaw Employee Benefits associate Benjamin Conley was quoted on March 23 in the Daily Journal. The article discussed the impact of the federal health care reform law on small business owners, 49 percent of whom held a negative view of the new law. However Benjamin pointed out that businesses that employ less than 50 full-time workers incur less penalties than larger companies.

According to Benjamin, "the heavy hand of regulation fell mostly on large employers that offer their own self-insured programs and have to bring the benefits they offer into compliance with strict federal standards. Regulation also fell harder on insurers, including mandates that aim to expand coverage to dependents and offer more benefits while preventing dramatic rate heights."

The article pointed out that many small business owners still know little about new provisions, and concluded by suggesting the need for health reform supporters to educate them.