Health Care Costs Plague Small Businesses, Survey Says

A survey of small Colorado businesses that offer health insurance to employees finds increasingly they’re struggling with costs, and shifting costs to employees.

Researchers surveyed 300 businesses with 100 or fewer employees.

About one in three surveyed changed insurance carriers or health plans or both. Among that group, two-thirds shifted costs to employees.

“A lot of them are really kind of struggling with how much longer can we continue to do this if we keep seeing the cost increases," said Karl Weiss, president of Market Perceptions & HealthCare Research, which did the research for Delta Dental of Colorado.

A vast majority that offers health insurance want to continue to offer it.

Another recent study found fewer Coloradans are getting insurance coverage through a small employer.

Open enrollment for health insurance for 2016 began Sunday.