Small businesses consider cutting employee health care

As small businesses are suffering from significant decreases in revenue, owners have to find more ways to cut costs. Roughly 10 percent of small businesses are contemplating cutting health care in the next year, according to a National Small Business Association Survey. Although the decision to cut insurance is a difficult one, the 74 percent increase in premiums for single workers at small businesses from 2001 to 2008, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, means many companies cannot afford to keep employees covered. As a result, employees may have to purchase more expensive private plans.