Health care debate is heating up

Yarmuth takes health care role

Rep. John Yarmuth, D-3rd District, is an adviser to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on communicating the Democrats' message on health care (excluding for now, perhaps, the Blue Dogs).

Last week Yarmuth spoke to national reporters about health care costs and small businesses.

"It's something that is of great interest and concern to me as a former small business owner and someone who has had to deal with the issue of health insurance for my employees," said Yarmuth, who formerly owned the Louisville alternative weekly newspaper LEO. "I understand the true stress that health insurance places on small businesses."

The cost of health insurance premiums has gone up 100 percent in this decade, the congressman said.

"There's no business, small or large, that can continue to tolerate that kind of inflation in one very important segment of their business," Yarmuth said.
Increases also are not predictable, he said.

Hiring and retaining employees often hinges on the availability of health insurance, Yarmuth added.

"For all these reasons, it is critical that we do something to reform the system so that small businesses have a predictable, affordable source of insurance for their employees - or in the alternative have a way for their employees to find affordable, quality health care so they can continue to work in that small business sector," Yarmuth said.