You want to offer health insurance, but you can't afford it

Small business owners offer health insurance to employees as a recruiting tool and a way to boost productivity, but many owners don't offer it at all, citing high costs. That's the latest from a new nationwide survey from U.S. PIRG, a group of state public interest research groups.

A group of 343 small business owners and managers took part in the survey. The survey found:

> 55 percent of small business owners and managers offer coverage to attract and retain good employees.

> 27 percent offer coverage to increase worker productivity.

> 24 percent say they feel their interests are represented in the current health-insurance reform debate.

> 78 percent of those who don't offer coverage say affordability is the biggest barrier.