By JOSH AULT
6 News Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - Many local small business owners are trying to sort out what the Supreme Court's landmark ruling Thursday on health care means for them.
The decision means companies will have options in providing health insurance to their workers.
Danielle Laffrey, an employee at Preservation Pub in Market Square, does not have health insurance. Her company does not provide it and she relies on Medicaid to pay for her health care.
She is expecting a baby in August.
"I think it's good," said Laffrey about the Supreme Court's health care decision. "It makes me feel more secure that there are more options for healthcare for people. At the same time it's a little scary that it's mandated."
Bernadette West, co-owner of Preservation Pub, says the business does not offer health insurance to any of their 27 employees. She does not even have health insurance herself.
She is excited their may be an option in providing health insurance to her employees.
"I definitely would love to be able to afford insurance for all my employees or have the option even if I pay part and the employees pay part, so it's kind of a win, win for everybody," said West.
According to the new health law, no employer is required to provide insurance. The only catch is if your company has 50 or more employees it must provide some sort of health insurance or pay a penalty.
The health law gives employers with fewer workers a tax credit to help cover the cost if they decide to provide health insurance.
For many small business owners, like Charlotte Tolley who is co-owner of Just Ripe on Union Avenue, they are still trying to figure it all out.
"We really don't know," said Tolley. "Hopefully it will be a good thing. We would like to offer health insurance to our employees, especially to owners and managers. We are looking into that possibility. We don't know what those mandates will be."
Mandates for small businesses in the new health law will not start until 2014. Some of the tax credits are already available.
"I think it's good," said Danielle Laffrey about the Supreme Court's health care decision.
"It's kind of a win, win for everybody," said Bernadette West, co-owner of Preservation Pub.
"We would like to offer health insurance to our employees, especially to owners and managers," said Charlotte Tolley, co-owner of Just Ripe.
