‘Supermarket Size-Limitation Act’

Firms that do not provide health insurance to their employees are not “freeloading on taxpayers for the medical care of its employees.” They do not provide it either because their employees do not want it (e.g., they are young and healthy and prefer longer vacation time or higher wages instead), or because their employees are unskilled and cannot afford lower wages in order to pay for private insurance [“Supermarket Size-Limitation Act,” Editorial, October 12, 2005].

But more important to realize is that firms that provide insurance are not paying for it; their employees are, via reductions in other parts of their compensation package. The “good generous firm versus bad greedy firm” idea is a myth created by unions and single-payer advocate organizations like NY Jobs with Justice [“The Higher-Priced Groceries Act,” Letter, October 12]. They should pursue their objectives in a more above-board way.

DAVID M. O’NEILL
Manhattan
Mr. O’Neill is an adjunct professor of economics at Baruch College of the City University of New York.

‘Higher-Priced Groceries Act’

Regardless of how one views the legislation, lost in the debate over the City Council’s recent “Health Care Security Act” is the fact that most uninsured New Yorkers don’t work in large supermarkets [“The Higher-Priced Groceries Act,” Editorial, October 11, 2005].

The Brooklyn economy, for example, produces about 460,000 jobs, 90% of which are in small businesses with fewer than 20 people on the payroll. These businesses represent the bread and butter of the outer boroughs’ economies. But they cannot be counted on to pay for traditional employer-sponsored heath insurance. It simply has become much too expensive. What’s more, most low-wage workers, when asked if they want the boss to pay for costly health insurance, say no thanks, they would rather get a raise. No surprise, given the high cost of living in New York City and the accessibility and quality of our public health care system where the uninsured seek care.

A practical approach to this problem would be to create for workers in small businesses in New York City a low-cost health insurance plan, one whose costs are shared in a reasonable way by employer, employee, and taxpayers. That’s the story of Brooklyn HealthWorks. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce partnered with GHI and engaged the state’s Healthy NY program and the city’s HealthPass to create a unique, “public-private” insurance plan. Yes, we use some tax payers’ money (government grants) to subsidize the Health-Works premiums in a modest way. But that brings the price down to a level at which small business owners and their workers will seriously consider buying health insurance. A basic but attractive benefits package helps close the deal. The insured worker gets good health care coverage through an employer-sponsored GHI plan that is made affordable by a unique alignment of helpful partners.

Brooklyn HealthWorks can easily be expanded citywide to an extent determined by the amount of government funds dedicated to the premium subsidies. The current cost of the subsidy is under $400 a person a year. This expansion would not be as expensive as it sounds, since generally it is more cost-effective for people to be insured and receive preventive care than for them to show up on the doorstep of the public hospital system. Providing health care for more working New Yorkers by getting them insurance this way should create savings that offset the cost to government of the premium subsidies. And if taxpayers are going to chip in no matter what to make sure everyone gets proper health care, why not make that contribution upstream and provide the uninsured with insurance, education and consumer choice, rather than just handing them a ticket to an over-priced, overcrowded emergency room?

KENNETH ADAMS
President
Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce
Brooklyn

‘What Good Is War?’

This is in response to William Shawcross’s op-ed “What Good is War?” [Opinion, October 11, 2005]. This is one of the genre of articles for which I am grateful to The New York Sun. Where else in New York can one find such refreshing reminders of what it takes to break free of entrenched despotism?

Mr. Shawcross really lays out the significance of what is worth fighting for to make this a livable planet. He didn’t even mention that the Iraqi people, who would turn out an 80% vote, endangering their lives just by being near a polling place, have proved their worth as allies for keeping what freedoms are left in this world.

CHARLES M. RICHARDSON
South Setauket, N.Y.

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