PAUL G. HAUF

Like many professionals in the small business sector, Paul G. Hauf has been closely monitoring the health care reform battle. Now that the president has signed the health care reform bill into law, Paul G. Hauf knows that the average American has many questions about what all of this will mean to him or her. For small business owners, Paul G. Hauf has focused on a few key provisions of this legislation.

Under the current system, said Paul G. Hauf, small business owners pay anywhere from 15% to 20% more for the same insurance coverage in comparison to larger firms. Paul G. Hauf noted that the main reason for this expense inequality is the administrative bloating and inefficiency of the health insurance sector. Because of this, Paul G. Hauf explained that the number of small businesses offering health insurance to their employees has been steadily declining for more than a decade now.

The new health care reform bill, recently signed into law by the president, will give many of Paul G. Hauf's clients a well deserved break in terms of the cost of their health insurance coverage. For example, said Paul G. Hauf, small businesses that provide health insurance benefits will receive tax credits to offset the higher cost of insuring their employees.

Many small businesses, continued Paul G. Hauf, will be able to participate in the "insurance exchange" marketplace. Paul G. Hauf said that the insurance exchange would give small business owners the opportunity to choose from a much larger variety of competitive plans. All of this will help business owners to purchase better coverage at a lower cost, explained Paul G. Hauf, than is the case now in the current small group insurance marketplace.