Good news from NFIB survey

Good news from our friends at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) even if they don’t think it is good news.  According to a non-random survey of 921 small business owners and operators released today by the NFIB, “64 percent reported that they pay more for insurance premiums per employee in 2013 than they did in 2012.”

This is great news!  No one was predicting that Obamacare would result in actually a decrease in health insurance premiums for small businesses.  The best hope was that the double-digit increases of the past 15 or more years that almost all small businesses were experiencing would be less prevalent and that many small business would find insurance even less costly because of the health insurance tax credits made available through Obamacare.

Now, even the Obamacare-hating NFIB is admitting that 36% of their selected small businesses are paying less in premiums in 2013 compared to 2012.  The NFIB doesn’t give us a lot of detail about the increases that were experienced but we should assume that that is also good news for the Obamacare effect.

Here is how the NFIB report dealt with the rate increase issue: “36 percent of those under 20 employees saw premium rate increases of less than 10 percent last year (when they experienced increases) compared to 45 percent among firms over 20 employees.”

So let’s make the assumption (and that’s dangerous) that 36% of businesses with fewer than 20 employees and 36% of businesses with 20 or more employees had no premium increases.  That would mean that more than 50% of all the small businesses in this survey had no increase in premiums or an increase less than double digits in 2013 compared to 2012. 

This is an outstanding improvement over pre-Obamacare rates for small businesses.  And this does not count possibly even better small business rates that these companies might find in the SHOP program of the Health Insurance Marketplaces when they are open.

Thanks, NFIB, for this good news.  We’re heading in the right direction for small businesses.

Superstorm Sandy's warning about our future

 

Today is the one year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy that devastated the New York and New Jersey coastal communities.  Sandy wasn’t a hurricane but the cost in terms of dollars was enormous.

--$2.4 billion authorized by the SBA in disaster loans for residents and businesses

--$2.7 billion in funding to municipalities for clean-up, infrastructure repair and opening affected hospitals

--$7.8 billion paid out from the federal flood insurance program

Now consider what would have been the cost of exactly the same storm years from now with a one, two or three foot rise in sea level due to climate change.  It could be up to a six foot rise in sea level by the end of the century (high estimate from NOAA) if we don’t start cutting back on carbon pollution.

Chris Carnevale of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy has his latest blog out entitled, “How High Will the Seas Rise?”  Check it out and then picture what could happen to our South Carolina coastal tourism communities years from now with higher sea levels and a Sandy-like superstorm or another Hurricane Hugo hits us.

Good-news stories about Obamacare

As the Health Insurance Marketplace creeps toward being fully operational and the Obamacare-haters use the technical problems to continue their attacks, the good news is starting to get out.

Over 330,000 Americans have checked to see if they are eligible for a federal subsidy to make their health insurance more affordable.  About 700,000 applications for health insurance have been made through the states and federal Marketplaces.  

Then there are the personal stories of happy Marketplace shoppers.  Below are examples of Americans who have had great results.  Thanks to the Franklin Forum for this information.

Three Hours Saved Man $6,000 - Andrew, Freelancer, 34 yrs old
It took three hours, but Andrew Stryker managed to be among the first people to purchase health insurance through Obamacare’s new insurance markets. Stryker is 34 years old and lives in Los Angeles, where he now does freelance work. He pays a monthly premium around $600 to stay on the COBRA plan from a job he left four years ago. He has high blood pressure and says insurance companies have previously denied his applications for coverage on the individual market. ‘I figured this might cut my premiums in half and I’d be getting better service for half the price,’ he says. … ‘I’ve been watching the news about the government shutdown,” he says. “Obviously three hours is a long time to wait, but it will save me over $6,000. For that, I would have waited all day.’” [Washington Post’s Wonkblog, 10/1/13]

Formerly Uninsured Woman Found $60 Plan
“In Mississippi, one of 34 states letting the federal government operate the online health insurance marketplace created by the health law, consumers continue to face long delays and other technical difficulties as they try to log on and shop for affordable coverage. Sixteen other states and the District of Columbia are operating their own marketplaces. ‘Why keep trying?’ asked Meredith Stark, 29, a hotel desk clerk in the northeast Mississippi town of Blue Springs. ‘Because this is something we need. We have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. And, I am sorry, but not having health insurance denies life.’ Stark says she has a chronic blood condition and had been skipping medication for three years while uninsured because of its cost. The marketplace, also known as an exchange, will offer plans based on four categories -- gold, silver, bronze and platinum -- with varying deductible costs, copayments and other consumer cost sharing. But the combination of heavy traffic – federal officials reports hits in the millions -- and programming problems has made the web site difficult to access since its Oct. 1 launch. After a week of trying, though, Stark managed to complete the online process and enroll her husband and herself in a plan that will cost $60 a month.” [Kaiser Health News, 10/11/13]

Better Coverage For At Least $13,000 Less - Butch Matthews, small business owner, 61 yrs old
Butch Matthews is a 61-year-old former small business owner from Little Rock, Arkansas who used to wake up every morning at 4 A.M. to deliver canned beverages to retailers before retiring in 2010. A lifelong Republican, he was heavily skeptical of the Affordable Care Act when it first passed. 'I did not think that Obamacare was going to be a good plan, I did not think that it was going to help me at all,' he told Think Progress over the phone. But after doing a little research, Matthews eventually realized how much the law could help him. And on Tuesday, his local Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) provider confirmed that he would be able to buy a far better plan than his current policy while saving at least $13,000 per year through Arkansas' Obamacare marketplace... I still am a very strong Republican, but this... I'm so happy that this came along," he continued. "Our home is paid for, vehicle's paid for, this is our expense that we have. We have more expense on medical care than everything else put together, so this is going to be a great help for us.'" [ThinkProgress, 10/21/13]

Indiana Catholic Couple Can Now Afford to Have a Second Child - Steven, Freelancer, 39 yrs old
“Our story isn't terribly exotic, but it's ours. My wife and I (42 and 39) are both freelancers working at home, which means—among other things—we've been blessed with being able to raise our 7-year-old child without outside child care. Although solidly middle class by dollars, we don't earn health care through our employment, which means a large chunk of our money ($600 per month) goes toward health insurance, despite being mostly healthy nonsmokers. We're most interested in the provision of the ACA that requires insurers to cover maternity. It's nearly impossible for single buyers to purchase in our home state of Indiana: one-year waiting period, an extra $10,000 in annual premiums. Basically, you're prepaying for a standard delivery. Because of the lack of coverage—and earnings that have kept us from being certain of Medicaid benefits—we've limited ourselves to one child (which has been tricky, since we're practicing Catholics). We hope for coverage that's either better or cheaper than what we have now—and preferably both!” [Slate, 10/2013]

Colorado Republican Expects “Substantial Savings” - Eric Powell, Small-business owner, 32 yrs
"I grew up a staunch Republican, voted for Bush twice, but the combination of Sarah Palin and the baffling Republican response to Obamacare has caused me to have a major identity crisis in my political beliefs... I grew up in House Speaker John Boehner's district, and we're longtime family friends. My grandpa held the same congressional seat, my dad was a township trustee with him when they both were starting out, and I went to school with his kids. I've honestly never disagreed with any significant Republican positions until this one, but I voted for Obama in 2012—the only Democratic vote I've ever made...I spent an hour or so Tuesday morning browsing plans at the Colorado insurance exchange. My goal was to find coverage for myself and my two children for less cost than we’d incur through my wife’s employer. My children are currently on my wife’s employer-based plan, and my coverage is through the state’s soon-ending high-risk pool. While my wife’s employer coverage is inexpensive for herself, covering our entire family would cost us an additional $1,000 per month out-of-pocket (for a less-than-ideal $3,500 deductible plan).... Browsing and filtering plans is fairly straightforward, and I was impressed by the number of options. For myself and my two children, I was shown a total of 78 plan options from about 10 different carriers. The plans ranged from $357 to $1,024 per month (some including dental coverage), and it was pretty clear that we’d find substantial savings compared to insuring our entire family through my wife’s employer.” [Slate, 10/2013]

Illinois Couple Kept Coverage, Saved $390 - Kathy Kanak, 57 Year Old
“Kathy Kanak beat the system. Late Wednesday, the 57-year-old, of Libertyville, became one of the first known enrollees for health insurance at the glitch-stricken online marketplaces operated by the federal government for 36 states, including Illinois. … ‘I just kept trying,’ she said. ‘Tell people to just keep trying and (they'll) get in eventually.’ With federal tax credits, the Kanaks will pay about $260 a month in 2014 on premiums for medical coverage with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and dental insurance through Delta Dental, a savings of about $390 a month from their current coverage. They'll be able to retain their family doctor and their dentist, and their annual deductible will drop to $1,500, from $5,000 this year.” [Chicago Tribune, 10/04/2013]

The business of sea-level rising

Editorial

The Charleston Post and Courier
October 21, 2013

The sea level rose about a foot in the last century. To some people’s way of thinking, that’s nothing to worry about. But to those who live on the coast, and are paying attention, it is correctly viewed as a warning.

Add to the discussion the generally accepted fact that climate change is the major reason for sea-level rise, and the divide between the two points of view gets wider.

And even suggest that climate change is a direct result of human behavior and the conversations tend to turn into arguments.

So the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce has its work cut out if it is going to promote a healthy dialogue about sea-level rise. It’s a difficult but worthy goal. Failing to study how sea level rise could affect residents, governments and businesses would be foolhardy.

Wilmington, N.C., received a federal grant to project how sea level rise could affect its water and sewer systems, public monuments and parks, and to determine the best way to prioritize any actions the city might elect to take.

The chamber can offer helpful information along those lines, even to those people who discount the premise that burning fossil fuels speeds up global warming. It can make the case that sustainable energy significantly benefits the economy by creating jobs.

In 2011, the wind energy industry directly employed 75,000 full-time equivalent employees, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The jobs were in manufacturing, project development, construction and turbine installation, operations, transportation, financial and legal services and consulting.

AWEA also reported that more than 500 factories in the U.S. manufacture parts for wind turbines.

In North Charleston, the Clemson University Restoration Institute is building a state-of-the-art wind turbine testing facility. It is attracting students , staff and world-renowned faculty, and is expected to attract related businesses.

Meanwhile, the city of North Myrtle Beach has already begun to study the value of wind energy.

Other renewable energy industries employ even more workers. In 2011, the solar industry employed about 100,000 people on a part-time or full-time basis, according to the Solar Foundation.

Nikki Haley was elected governor based, in part, on her commitment to attracting more jobs to the state.

Beyond jobs, sustainable energy can lead to improved public health as people breathe in fewer emissions. And harnessing power from the wind and the sun doesn’t damage the environment the way mining for coal or drilling for oil and gas does.

The S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce might be facing headwinds as it attempts to settle conflicts about what is causing climate change. And it certainly isn’t suggesting an immediate catastrophe related to the rising sea level.

But it is a smart move to make people and businesses aware of the issue and encourage them to consider what they might do about it — for all kinds of good reasons.

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20131021/PC1002/131029935/1021/the-business-of-sea-level-rising

 

ASBC Partner of the Year Award

I arrived in DC late yesterday afternoon and will be here through Thursday for the American Sustainable Business Council's Annual Business Summit.  Last night I and the South Carolina Small Business Chamber were honored at a reception with the first Annual Award for Partner of the Year.

SEC to throw open the doors to everyman investing

On the heels of our launch last week of SCcrowdfund.com, which will allow businesses and non-profits to post their business ideas and projects on a public online portal to encourage people to donate (donation crowdfunding) or invest (private placement investment for those with high incomes), more good news is expected tomorrow.

At 10 am, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will hold a public meeting at which time it is anticipated that it will release proposed rules that will govern the sale of securities in businesses via crowdfunding. In 2012 Congress passed the JOBS Act that had as one of its provision legalizing businesses to solicit and receive investments of as little as $100 from all citizens through online portals popularized by donation crowdfunding firms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. 

The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce (SCSBCC) and the American Sustainable Business Council’s (ASBC) support for security (or equity) crowdfunding dates back to 2010 when the concept was originally proposed in a petition to the SEC.  The SEC has come under pressure to promulgate regulations that will govern how security crowdfunding is carried out.  Just yesterday a group of U.S. Senators including those who were  critical to the passage of the law, including Senators Jeff Merkley and Mary Landrieu, sent a letter to the SEC calling on the agency to complete its security crowdfunding regulations.

If the SEC does release its proposed regulations tomorrow it will begin a public comment period enabling those with an interest to critique the rules and possibly influence the final regulations.  But more importantly it will give business organizations like the SCSBCC and ASBC a clearer timeline for incorporating security crowdfunding in our portal platforms.  It will truly be a revolutionary opportunity for everyday citizens to invest small amounts of money into growing their local economies by providing capital to locally-owned businesses. 

When the time comes, hopefully in 4 or 5 months, we will add security crowdfunding to our statewide portals (SCcrowdfund.com) for donation crowdfunding and private placement investment. This is exciting!

Looking for capital for your private or non-profit business? Look to SCcrowdfund.com

Our announcement last week that SCcrowdfund.com is now open for applications from entrepreneurs and businesses looking for capital to start or grow their business received good media coverage.  The portal enables small businesses and non-profits to put their business projects on either a donation crowdfunding or private placement investment platform and seek funding from South Carolinians.

Tyler Ryan had me on WACH-TV’s morning news, WCIV-TV in Charleston ran a story on their website and PJ Ranhawa did a very nice segment on WIS-TV Friday evening. 

This is your opportunity to put your business project in front of the public and ask for donations or investments.  Go to SCcrowdfund.com and spread the word that we can grow our own local economies.

WIS-TV
October 18, 2013

Crowdfunding becomes newest way to secure business capital

Oct 18, 2013

By PJ Randhawa
  

Watch the video.

The Internet, boredom, and a credit card can be a bad and costly combination for some, but what if there was a way you could walk away from your computer with more than just a blanket with sleeves?

How about an equity share of a legitimate business in your community?

The biggest barrier to starting a small business often comes down to having capital, either in the form of investors or just cold hard cash. That's why now, small business advocates are using technology to help connect investors with opportunity.

Wade Sellers had a dream, but he just needed $4,200 to get it out of his head and onto film.

"We must've done something right because we met our goal and about 10 percent and we were able to make the film," said Sellers.

Sellers did it with help of dozens of online donors who had a little faith in his project.

"They're people who are looking to have a serious stake in something new," said Sellers.

Frank Knapp from South Carolina's Small Business Chamber of Commerce boils it all down to risk vs. reward.

"Everything has risk, of course," said Knapp. "With risk, you get high returns."

That same crowdfunding model is now moving away from the arts and being geared to small businesses with the upcoming launch of the small business investment portal.

"Anyone will be go onto a portal that will have a list of businesses that are seeking investors and anyone can go on literally and say, 'I want to invest in that business," said Knapp.

Investors can purchase an equity share of any sized business from coffee shops to high tech ventures or they can choose to simply donate towards a business project.

"Investors like this who might know your reputation or your product might be more apt to invest for a percentage of the share," said Scott Linaberry from Curtis Hanger Partners.

For Linaberry, who's aiming to raise $4 million to renovate an historic hanger, finding funding from like-minded partners is not just a way to increase his own bottom line.

"When it's narrowed down by projects in your region, and you want to see Richland County or the Midlands grow, here's your opportunity to put your money where your mouth is," said Linaberry.

The small business investment portal will officially open for business before the end of the year. But they are accepting applications from entrepreneurs who are trying to grow or start a business through crowdfunding.

Small businesses interested in using the crowdfunding model through the SC Small Business Investment Portal can visit SCCrowdFund.com

WCIV-TV
October 16, 2013

New website is like Kickstarter for SC businesses

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCIV) – A new website is helping small businesses in South Carolina raise capital through crowdfunding and investments.

The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday began taking applications for its two new web portals.

"There is a growing demand for small business loans that our financial institutions cannot meet for one reason or another," said Frank Knapp Jr., the president and CEO of the South Carolina SBCC. "Our new portal will provide the marketplace for these small businesses to seek donations and investments for their business projects."

The site, SCcrowdfund.com, is designed to help local businesses take off and build capital without waiting on an economic upswing. Instead, business owners can solicit people for donations or investments through the website.

Anyone will be able to make a donation to the businesses that join the site. However, only people with high incomes will be able to invest in companies. Those investments will be handled through a private portal.

Details on what qualifies as a high income can be found on the website.

SCcrowdfund.com will allow people to fund local businesses through three methods: donation crowdfunding, which is essentially gathering donations from the public for a project; private placement investments, in which accredited high income people can contribute for a share of equity in the business; and security crowdfunding, which when approved by the Security and Exchange Commission will allow people to invest in exchange for small shares.

To find out more about SCcrowdfund.com and apply, click here.

Read more

Duke exec: renewable energy regulations needed

GSA Business
October 18, 2013

By Scott Miller
smiller@scbiznews.com

Regulators and utilities should move cautiously toward a plan that incorporates renewable energies, particularly solar power, into the mix of electricity delivered to consumers without raising costs, an executive with Duke Energy said Thursday.

“Getting the rules right, now, allows the economic impacts of solar to spread throughout the Carolinas. No final set of rules is going to make everyone happy, including the utilities, but doing something sooner rather than later is better,” said Lee Mazzocchi, Duke’s senior vice president and chief integration and innovation officer.

Of the utility’s 7 million customers in the Southeast and Midwest, only about 3,000 use solar power, he said.

“Yet in my typical day, solar creeps into every conversation,” he said. “The big reason: solar’s got a ton of momentum behind it.”

Well-known companies are pushing for solar power, Mazzocchi said, naming Walmart, Ikea, BMW Manufacturing and others, including Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

“When the casinos are betting on solar, you better pay attention,” said Mazzocchi, who served as the keynote speaker at Thursday’s Energy Summit in Greenville, dedicating his 20-minute presentation to the push for solar energy.

Growth in the use of solar energy is expected to reach 50% this year nationally, he said.

“A solar panel gets installed every four minutes in this country,” Mazzocchi said.

Increasing the use of solar power will present opportunities for entrepreneurs to innovate new technologies for its generation, delivery and use, he said.

Duke is embracing renewables, Mazzocchi said, investing around $3 billion since 2007 in renewable energy projects, including wind and solar. The push to add solar, however, must be done without affecting electricity costs, Mazzocchi said.

Utilities need to advance the renewable energy conversation with regulators, he said, and adopt new ways to charge for electricity beyond just the kilowatt-hour, ways to price energy products differently.

“The current regulations, mindset and business model were designed for a different era,” Mazzocchi said.

In states with a higher use of renewable energies, customers that do not use solar power subsidize the higher costs for those that do, he said.

He pointed to service disruptions in California, Arizona and Germany related to renewable energy. In Germany, where the use of renewable energy is high, electricity cost is triple what Duke’s South Carolina customers pay, Mazzocchi said.

South Carolina regulators have long resisted the adoption of a renewable energy portfolio standard that other states have used as a way to jump-start the use of renewable energies and the development of related technologies.

North Carolina regulators, for example, adopted a portfolio standard in 2007, calling for investor-owned utilities to meet up to 12.5% of their energy needs through renewable energy resources or energy efficiency measures. Rural electric cooperatives and municipal electric suppliers are subject to a 10% renewable energy requirement in North Carolina.

South Carolina is one of only 13 states without some form of voluntary or mandatory portfolio standard, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The U.S. does not have a federal standard, though efforts have been introduced in Congress.

http://gsabusiness.com/news/49229-duke-exec-renewable-energy-regulations-needed?rss=0

Bill McKibben

I had a great time last night attending the lecture by  Bill McKibben (founder of 350.org, internationally known environmentalist and author) in Charleston.   Thanks goes out to the Coastal Conservation League (CCL) for coordinating the well-attended event.   Following the lecture I had dinner with Bill and his wife, Sue, along with Hamilton Davis (CCL) and Jim Poch (SC Clean Energy Business Alliance) at one of Charleston’s great restaurants, The Grocery.

 

 

New online portal opens for SC small businesses to access capital

SCcrowdfund.com

South Carolina entrepreneurs and small business owners looking for capital to start or grow a business have a new opportunity.  The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce begins taking business applications today for its new donation crowdfunding and private placement investment portal found at SCcrowdfund.com.

“There is a growing demand for small business loans that our financial institutions cannot meet for one reason or another,” said Frank Knapp Jr., president & CEO of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce (SCSBCC).  “Our new portal will provide the marketplace for these small businesses to seek donations and investments for their business projects.” 

The portal, SCcrowdfund.com, is based on the theme that South Carolinians should,  “Invest in a New Economy”.  This effort is a partnership with the American Sustainable Business Council, New York-based Mission Markets and Bendigo Securities, LLC.

“We don’t have to wait for the national economy to take off.  We can grow our own local economies by donating to and investing in our local businesses.  This portal, SCcrowdfund.com, will make this easier,” said Knapp.

While anyone will be able to donate to a compelling small business project when the portal is open to the public in approximately 30 days, only those with high incomes will be able to invest through the private placement portal.  The qualifying criteria for “accredited” investors can be found at SCcrowdfund.com.

Businesses wanting to place their projects on the portal for either donations or investments should go to SCcrowdund.com. 

Small Business Forum on Health Insurance

This Thursday the City of Columbia will be holding an open forum on the impact of the Affordable Care Act on small businesses.  I will be moderating the panel presentations and discussions.  Another forum will be held October 23rd.


Registration is free: https://columbiaaffordablecareactforum.eventbrite.com

This is a great opportunity to learn how small businesses can effectively use the Health Insurance Marketplace (when it is fully functional) to not only make sure that employees have affordable health insurance that best fits their needs but also possibly how a small business can compete with companies that offer health insurance to employees without directly offering the employee benefit.  Small business owners might also find other options that could actually increase their bottom line.

 

 

Affordable Care Act Forum:

The Impact on Small Businesses

This forum will offer details and solutions on the Affordable Care Act for small businesses. The forum will feature a panel of experts from the insurance, legal and accounting industries who will help attendees understand the requirements, opportunities and benefits of the Affordable Care Act. Panelists will discuss:

 What does the Affordable Care Act do and not do for small businesses?

 What will be the impacts on small businesses in South Carolina?

 How can small business owners save more money?

 What are the opportunities for small businesses in South Carolina?

Session I

Thursday, October 17

9-11 a.m.

Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center 1101 Lincoln St.

Register by Tuesday, October 15

 

Session II

Wednesday, October 23

6-8 p.m.

Earlewood Community Center

1111 Parkside Dr.

Register by: Monday, October 21

Registration is free: https://columbiaaffordablecareactforum.eventbrite.com

For more information, contact Angelo McBride at 803.545.3960 or email aamcbride@columbiasc.net.

Sea level rise in Cherry Grove, North Myrtle Beach

Yesterday was a good day for small businesses concerned about climate-change induced sea levels rising along the South Carolina coast.  The South Carolina Small Business Chamber, American Sustainable Business Council and the Winyah River Foundation held a press event in North Myrtle Beach to layout the case that sea levels are rising, there will be a significant negative impact on small businesses and it is important for local coastal governments to begin planning for adaptation to higher sea levels.

Three TV stations, the Myrtle Beach Sun News and a non-dailey covered the press event.  Below are links to two of those stories.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2013/10/10/3764291/officials-sea-level-rise-is-worth.html#storylink=cpy

http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=957072#.Ulcozr7D82w

Health insurance industry targets Charleston's hospitality workers during Obamacare launch

Charleston City Paper
October 9, 2013

by Corey Hutchins @coreyhutchins

Nick Johnson is a 33-year-old Folly Beach bartender who hasn't had health insurance since he was 18. He also hasn't seen the inside of a hospital or a doctor's office for more than a decade, but two weeks ago he injured his left hand playing baseball with his nephew. It still hurts in the mornings, but he says he can deal with it.

Last week, the Affordable Care Act's online health insurance marketplaces opened for the first time, giving those without insurance the opportunity to buy it at, hopefully, reduced rates. In fact, some individuals can even receive government-subsidized coverage if they meet certain income levels. But Johnson is uncertain how much he'd be willing to pay for good coverage even if he did shop around. For the Folly Beach bartender, getting health insurance isn't a big concern.

And like many his age, Johnson doesn't have any idea what he'd do if he suffered a major accident and hospital bills started piling up. "I've never thought about it because I've never needed it," he says. "It just doesn't seem worth it to me."

Frank Knapp, president of the S.C. Small Business Chamber of Commerce and an advocate for the new healthcare law, says there's no reason a 33-year-old single male bartender shouldn't take responsibility for his own healthcare. As for those who are 30 and younger, the ACA offers low-cost catastrophic health care plans that cover major accidents but offer high deductibles, a good deal for those Knapp calls "young invincibles" who rarely go to the doctor. "I've heard some reports of these plans being almost free," Knapp adds.

The food and beverage industry is full of the kind of uninsured healthy young people the government hopes will sign up through the new exchanges. After all, the more people paying for coverage who aren't using it, the better the system is.

Here in South Carolina, state GOP leaders chose not to create state health care exchanges, so the federal government is operating them instead. While there are groups that are designed to help people navigate the process of getting signed up — like those who received federal Navigator grants — they can't reach everybody. And when it comes to Navigators, they can't recommend a healthcare plan, but they can show you your options. Licensed brokers, however, can do both.

One of them is Clark "Corky" Ullom, president of the Georgia-based HIX Marketplace who works for a private company licensed in 48 states to help people figure out the process of getting covered. Last Wednesday, he was stationed outside a giant Health Aviator tour bus parked in Marion Square as young guys tossed around frisbees and girls in bikinis sunbathed nearby. The insurance companies that are on the exchanges pay Ullom and his company for each individual they sign up. The Health Aviator bus will be in Charleston for the next three weeks, and Ullom says they've zeroed in on one specific industry.

"Hospitality is our main focus," he says from behind a pair of sunglasses.

His company has already partnered with the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association, and thousands of his business cards will end up in the envelopes of Lowcountry service industry workers when they get their next paycheck.

"You've got hard-working young people who don't have an opportunity for any type of reasonably priced health insurance," he says. "It's the biggest market out there." He also notes that a lot of these uninsured workers are confused about the recent government rollout and are looking for people like him to help them sign up.

One such worker is a local bartender and recent College of Charleston graduate named Charlotte Woodward. Most of what the 22-year-old has heard about the exchanges has centered around the right-wing/left-wing talking points. "I don't know much about the details," she says.

While she was in college, Woodward had cut-rate coverage that was rolled into her tuition, and she says it wasn't great. But now she's uninsured. Since she's under 26, she could technically be on her parents' plan, but she says that isn't an option.

Right now, Woodward's plan is to pursue another job outside the hospitality industry that will offer her an affordable and solid health plan. "I've done OK without it this far, but there have been some things health-wise I've been putting off and that's never good," she says.

Sue Berkowitz, director of the S.C. Appleseed Legal Justice Center and a supporter of the federal healthcare law, hopes Woodward gets covered. "I want the people bringing food to my table to be healthy," she says. "It's worth it to start thinking about how you care for your health and well-being and look at that as part of your expenses."

Berkowitz says Woodward should visit healthcare.gov and see if she's eligible for a subsidy. Berkowitz says the bartender could probably get an affordable plan that offers coverage and preventative care, including screenings and physicals, with co-pays as low as $30 or $20 for a visit. Prescriptions like birth control would be covered with a similarly-priced co-pay, the Appleseed director adds.

Berkowitz blames the state's Republican leaders for why many young people are largely unaware of the ACA. South Carolina is one of the states choosing not to expand Medicaid, and Republican lawmakers had opposed implementation of the law. In fact, a failed bill in the state Senate would have made it a crime for public officials to implement the law here. More recently, Republican Gov. Nikki Haley told the media the state was doing all it could to help people sign up, but pointed out that the healthcare.gov website hasn't been working for everybody. "We're going to continue doing what we can," Haley said, "but this is continuing to be the mess we thought it would be."

Problems with the federal website underscore something of a disconnect. Yes, there may be so many people clamoring for healthcare that the website is overwhelmed, but there are plenty of uninsured people with no clue that it even exists.

Consider Matt Vliet, a 26-year-old uninsured student in a welding program at Trident Technical College who works at night as an independent contractor for a local pedicab company. He's isn't sure how the ACA might affect him. When he was told about the healthcare.gov site and what it does, Vliet says he'd be willing to check it out, but he is also willing to go without coverage for the time being. He hopes he'll get a good job with a decent health plan after he graduates.

Vliet is clear about one thing. He knows he will be fined if he doesn't get coverage. After 2014, most Americans without coverage will have to pay $95 or 1 percent of their income (whichever is higher) when they pay their taxes if they don't have health insurance. That fine will go up the following year and could be as much as $695 by 2016. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the federal government could net some $7 billion from the roughly six million people who could end up paying fines. One of them might be Vliet.

"Just because of my age and my invincible nature, I probably would be willing to pay the fine instead of health insurance at this point in my life," he says while parked on King Street outside PURE Theater Wednesday night. "I think most people under 30 would be willing to pay the fine."

And it's that attitude that some anti-Obamacare groups are banking on. Actually, they're actively pushing such a message on college campuses. Virginia-based Generation Opportunity, for instance, is running an ad campaign called Opt Out. In one ad, a college-aged girl who signed up for Obamacare is led into a gynecologist's office and asked to put her feet in stirrups. After the nurse leaves, someone dressed in a creepy Uncle Sam costume rises from between her legs brandishing a speculum. "Don't let government play doctor," the onscreen text reads. "Opt out of Obamacare."

Part of the right-wing war on the new healthcare law could be an attempt to cripple its effectiveness, and people like Vliet are the ones caught in the middle.

Back on the King Street pedicab, Vliet thinks about some of his colleagues who have been hit by cars or injured on the job. He says if someone showed him how to shop around for coverage and he could get it really cheap, he might sign up. But even then he's doubtful he would purchase health insurance.

"I wouldn't be willing to pay $150 right now while I'm in school," he says.

http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/health-insurance-industry-targets-charlestons-hospitality-workers-during-obamacare-launch/Content?oid=4772288

Hear Answers from the Experts on Rising Seas

The elderly...gotta love them

On June 29, 2009, I and three friends went up the road to Simpsonville, South Carolina, to here Congressman Bob Inglis (R-S.C.) speak at a town hall meeting being held at the Senior Center.  Little did we know that we would be witnessing history and the leading edge of Tea Party takeovers of similar events that summer.

During the discussion of healthcare reform, one elderly gentleman stood up and defiantly said, “Keep your government hands off my Medicare.”

It was the statement heard around the world.  Congressman Inglis held his composure in front of the rowdy crowd and tried to explain that Medicare is a government health program.  But no matter how hard Inglis tried, his Tea Party constituents didn’t want to hear reason or compassion for the uninsured.  Another man said that he had no problem stepping over someone without insurance who lay dying on the street instead of allowing the person to receive medical assistance at a hospital. 

Fast forward to the present and an equally selfish and hypocritical objection to Obamacare.  Here is the story from the AP.

Back in Crowder, Okla., Lonnie Anderson is cheering on (Congressman) Mullin in the high-stakes showdown with Obama and Democrats. The 71-year-old retired nurse likes some elements of the health care law, such as the requirement for insurers to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions, and allowing young people up to age 26 to remain on their parents' plans.  But she fears that the law derided as "Obamacare" is a path to socialism …

And keep your government hands off her Social Security checks, too!

Clean energy on upswing, employs 18,000 in SC

(The small business clean energy industry is growing and producing jobs twice as fast as the rest the state’s businesses.  A new survey (story below) shows that the state has about 18,000 workers in the clean energy field with most of these businesses (73.8%) reporting annual revenue below $1 million.  Congratulation to the S.C. Clean Energy Business Alliance for its work in promoting clean energy in our state.--Frank)

The State
October 3, 2013

2013-10-03T02:45:09Z By RODDIE BURRIS — rburris@thestate.com

COLUMBIA, SC — Clean energy continued to claw its way into greater awareness in South Carolina last year, a new report shows, adding jobs and growing revenue.

A survey of 161 firms showed employment in the state’s clean energy sector in 2012 rose 3.6 percent, or more than twice as fast as jobs in the state’s overall economy, according to the S.C. Clean Energy Business Alliance.

Nearly 18,000 full-time employees worked in the upstart clean energy industries in the state this year, the Alliance’s annual report, South Carolina Clean Energy Jobs Census, showed.

The clean energy sector also generated more than $813 million in gross revenue in the state in 2012, an 11.9 percent increase over 2011, the report said.

The report defines a clean energy firm as having at least one employee in 2012 who dedicated a portion of his or her work time to clean energy.

While incentives underpin much of the impetus for business in the clean energy sector, demand also is moving the industry forward toward greater self-sufficiency, officials said Wednesday.

“The increase in clean energy jobs in South Carolina taking place today, along with the rising demand for cleaner sources of energy as we move toward a less carbon-dependent future, calls for our state to create the best environment possible to support this industry’s continued success,” said Jim Poch, S.C. Clean Energy Business Alliance executive director.

The Alliance, founded in 2011, is committed to building a diverse alliance of businesses across the state that is dedicated to creating a clean energy industry in the Palmetto State, it says. This is its second clean energy census.

The Great Recession interrupted the rise in the number of new firms entering the clean energy industry in the state between 2007 and 2009, the report indicates, but the increase since 2009 has been steady.

The report tracked all clean energy industries in the state, including solar, wind, biomass, hydroelectric, geothermal, smart grid, energy efficiency, energy storage, and alternative fuels.

The report also found:

•  Solar energy and improving energy efficiency/building sciences topped all categories for increase since 1980 and has more products in the local markets than any other category.

•  The state’s largest clean energy clusters of firms are located in the three metropolitan areas of the state, with Columbia ranking at the top, followed by Charleston and then Greenville.

•  Most clean energy firms in the state, 73.8 percent, reported gross annual revenue of less than $1 million. Of those with annual revenues greater than $1 million, 42.4 percent said at least half their revenue was generated by clean energy activities – a 6 percent increase over 2011.

•  Most of the clean energy firms in the state said they were “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to add clean energy over the next 12 months.

“This survey is unique,” said Joey Von Nessen, USC research economist. “This gets information you’re not going to be able to find anywhere else.”

The report, which can be viewed at http://bit.ly/1bqRjam, gives insight into the self-identified clean energy companies’ practices and priorities, concerns and experiences, Von Nessen said.

“These firms that are growing are largely producing for South Carolina – a South Carolina customer base and a South Carolina client base,” Von Nessen said. “So, they’re growing and they’re serving the local needs of South Carolina – very positive.”

Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/10/02/3016475/clean-energy-on-upswing-employs.html#storylink=cpy