We have been seeing more and more businesses dropping "perks" wherever they can, and Health Care comes to the top of that list if State law allows it. As nomal everyday costs rise, the number of businesses that offer insurance will decrease and put further strain on the Health Care system. This has had nothing to do with the National Health Care signed into law, and started when it was realized that offering health insurance was optional and not needed to attract workers in the economy.

But the new HCL will change all of this, and businesses will have to adapt unless the law is modified.

Even if those bussiness all do drop healthcare[and I doubt it] because of healthcare there will be insurance pools you can get in. Right now if your bussiness drops you you're SOL.

I also don't see a grand rush to cut benefits from current employees, except in a few specific cases. But, if the economic situation continues to deteriorate (and I know how much confidance in the economy is shown around here), then new businesses created and older industries in trouble, could remove health care as a perk unless it's mandated at some level. The insurance pools you mentioned are (I believe) for those folks that don't have insurance through their employer, and the National Health Care Legislation will also require that employers make health care available.

Romney believes that it's okay for States to require citizens to purchase Health insurance, but seems to think it's a mistake at the Federal level. Of course, if that trend continued, people who earn high wages or have high income would make sure their residence was in a State that provided fewer services and had lower taxes. While the poor and unemployed would likely seek to move to States that have benifits they can take advantage of. Look at the number of poor and homelss that migrate to the warmer climates, leaving certain State economies to pick up the slack. Sorry, I drifted off into politics . . . . .