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For 21 years, small-business owner Rebecca Boenigk has been able to provide health insurance to her employees.
"From the day we started the company, my family has always believed that health care is very important," she said. "We even pay more than other companies so our employees can insure their kids."
Until five years ago, employees at Neutral Posture in Bryan got their insurance without having to pay a cent. Now, because of a dramatic increase in premiums, Boenigk's employees pay $70 a month for their insurance.
"When you have someone making $10 an hour, $70 a month is a lot of money," she said.
Recently, Boenigk said, she received quotes from her insurance carrier about next year's premiums for the more than 70 employees.
"My mom said, 'Oh that's not that bad, a 16 percent increase,'" she said. "And I said, 'No, that's 60, a 60 percent increase.' It's getting so expensive that at some point, you just don't know what to do next."
A group of about two dozen people, mostly Neutral Posture employees, were on hand Friday in the office chair manufacturer's production area to hear Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison speak about health care.
Her visit came one day before she'll be asked to vote on whether to begin debate on the Senate's version of the health care reform bill.
She made her intentions clear -- stop the motion to proceed and try again for a bipartisan bill.
"She brings me comfort in knowing she'll be voting 'no' [Saturday]," Boenigk said. "I'm very afraid of what will happen if it passes tomorrow night, without the Republicans or conservatives at the table and they move forward without it being a bipartisan bill."
Hutchison said during brief remarks Friday that she has two main priorities related to health care reform.
"Bringing down the cost," she said. "And also of equal importance, is more affordable access. Having more people with coverage will make it cheaper for everyone."
The current policy in place at Neutral Posture doesn't expire until March, but Boenigk and her employees already are shopping around for different providers and looking for other ways to lower the cost and avoid a 60 percent increase in premiums.
"It's always a shock every year, what else goes up this much year-to-year?" she said. "My staff is looking for every alternative. I don't know that we'll be able to get equivalent health care."
