The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), Washington, D.C., voiced its concerns over the health-care debacle for small businesses at a Capitol Hill hearing earlier this month. NAW, an active lobbyist for health-care reform, participated in a hearing held by the Senate Committee on Small Business on the crisis in health care facing America's small employers.

The hearing, led by the committee's chair, Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), also explored approaches to confront the crisis. Citing the results of a health insurance benefits survey conducted by NAW in the spring of 2002, Jim Anderson, NAW's vice president of government relations, said the biggest problem confronting employers is cost. He said premium increases in 2002 over the preceding year averaged 19 percent in the wholesale distribution industry, well above national averages revealed in other studies. The average increase for wholesaler-distributors with more than 500 employees was 16 percent, while the average increase for smaller industry employers reached 20 percent.

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