March 4, 2011
The Honorable State Senators
State Capitol Building
200 E. Colfax Ave
Denver, Colorado 80203

Re: SB11-019 Small Employer Health Insurance Payments

Dear Senator,

The Colorado Republican Business Coalition (“CRBC”) strongly supports SB11-019, permitting employers with less than fifty employees to reimburse their employees for some or all of health insurance premiums paid. With the steady rise of the cost of health insurance plans along with other pressures causing margins to shrink in the past few years, many small businesses can no longer afford to offer health insurance plans for their employees. To continue to prohibit small businesses from reimbursing their employees for some or all of the cost of health insurance premiums that employees pay directly, fails to help alleviate the unemployment problem, and is simply unfair for both the employees and the employers.

Respectfully,
Christine Burtt
Chairman, CO Republican Business Coalition