Free seminar to explore health care options for small businesses

About 46 million Americans n including more than 8 million children n have no health coverage, according to the most recent figures available from the U.S. Census Bureau. Of the nation’s uninsured, 50 die each day because they are unable to get the medical care they need, the Institute of Medicine estimates.

In conjunction with the 2007 “Cover the Uninsured Week,” the state’s Department of Insurance is co-sponsoring a seminar for small businesses in search of health care options.

The seminar will be held Wednesday, April 25, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation Conference Center at 402 N. Fourth St. in Baton Rouge.

The Health Care Options for Small Business seminar will provide small business owners with a range of affordable health care options for their employees, organizers said.

“Cover the Uninsured Week” runs from April 23 to 29.

Now in its fifth year, the Cover the Uninsured campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort to shed light on the need to secure health coverage for all Americans. Nearly 20 percent of adult Louisianians n many of them employed full-time n live without health insurance, according to state statistics.

“The plight of the uninsured in Louisiana continues to be an urgent issue as many of our citizens remain unemployed and displaced as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Those without health insurance are more likely to be in poorer health than those who do have insurance,” said Jim Donelon, Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Insurance, which is co-sponsoring the seminar with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. “Small businesses were leaders in Louisiana’s economy in 2003 with an estimated 333,600 small businesses producing $10.5 billion. We are taking this opportunity to educate the small business owners of the various options available to them for offering health insurance to their employees.”

The upcoming seminar will feature several panel discussions on a range of topics including insurance basics, consumer-directed health care, health savings accounts and help direction in working with a broker.

A guide on insurance options as well as information from several major group health insurance carriers will be available. A continental breakfast will also be provided.

Space is limited for the seminar.

To register, visit the state Department of Insurance’s Web site at www.ldi.state.la.us. For more information, contact Karen Krumhold at kkrumholt@ldi.state.la.us or (225) 219-9343. To view the day’s lineup, log on to www.ldi.state.la.us/Health/LHCC/upcoming_events.htm or www.CoverTheUninsured.org.