The Town Hall meeting on Health Care in the Service Industry was held on-site in Orlando at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Sponsored by the Automotive Service Association (ASA), this event was a platform to discuss healthcare reform and its effects on small-business owners.
The discussion, titled "How Will Healthcare Reform Affect My Business?" examined the impact of healthcare reform in the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and provided an outlook for changes in healthcare laws in the future.
Industry experts Kaitlyn Dwyer, legislative analyst for ASA; and Bob Redding, ASA's Washington, D.C., representative, reviewed the new law's impact on independent automotive repair businesses and possible changes in healthcare laws. Attendees also had the opportunity to ask questions in this interactive presentation.
Panelists for the program included Donna Malvey, Ph.D., University of Central Florida; Terri L. Seefeldt, RHU, Rogers Benefit Group; Jim Houser, Hawthorne Auto Clinic Inc.; and Don Seyfer, Seyfer Automotive.
"At our Town Hall meeting, automotive repairers expressed concern about healthcare costs and the new healthcare law," stated Redding. "Congress is still discussing possible changes in the new healthcare law but it's important to note the administration continues the regulatory process and recently announced the long-term care insurance program known as CLASS, passed as part of last year's healthcare reform law, will not be implemented at this time. The administration indicated that the proposed new program is actuarially unsound."
AUTOBODY NEWS will be running a three part series on Health Care and Small Business starting in our December issue.
