BIRMINGHAM - RealSource president Doris Phillips was one of seven business owners invited to meet with Alabama Governor Riley to discuss healthcare and insurance costs for businesses and their employees.

The business owners spoke out in favor of a proposal being pushed by Governor Bob Riley to make health insurance more affordable for small business employees.

Rising health insurance costs are forcing many small businesses to either cut back on plans to hire more workers or to quit offering or reduce the level of health care benefits for their employees.

The Governor listened to the health insurance concerns of these small business owners during a roundtable discussion in Birmingham on Thursday, November 29, 2007.

“Nothing is more challenging for small businesses today than trying to figure out how to pay for health insurance for your employees and for yourself,” Governor Riley said during the discussion. “The fact that health care costs are such an obstacle for you that you’re constantly having second thoughts of whether you can hire more workers or even continue to offer health benefits, that’s what frightens me.”

“We should help people by making health care more affordable, not by putting more of them on welfare,” Governor Riley said.

Participants in the roundtable noted that small businesses have a big impact on Alabama’s economy. Ninety percent of all businesses in the state have 25 or fewer employees, and small businesses create about 70 percent of all new jobs.

"This issue effects not only our company, but most of the companies and individuals we work with every day," Doris Phillips said. "The cost of insurance and healthcare impacts the ability of our company and our customers and associates to hire the best, grow our businesses and can even be a matter of survival for some companies."

Several of the small business owners at the roundtable discussion said they could not only hire more workers if health care was more affordable, they could also offer higher salaries or more benefits. Some said they could put those savings into wellness programs to encourage healthier lifestyles for their employees.

“Let’s look at the big picture here. This plan will decrease the number of uninsured in Alabama. That means fewer citizens will be forced to rely on Medicaid. It also helps small businesses in this state to thrive and grow. That creates a stronger economy, which is what brings in more revenue for our schools. So anyone who tries to make the argument that tax incentives for small business hurts education is wrong,” Governor Riley said.

The Governor told the group he is a former small business owner and used to view government as an adversary. “I thought I was going to be successful in spite of government. We need to be your partners. When you’re successful, the whole state benefits,” Governor Riley said.