Small business faces sharp rise in costs of healthcare

Many small businesses say they are facing the steepest rise in health insurance premiums they have seen in recent years, the New York Times reports. Insurance brokers and benefits consultants say their small business clients are seeing premiums go up an average of about 15% for the coming year—double the rate of last year's increases. That would mean an annual premium that was $4,500 per employee in 2008 and $4,800 this year would rise to $5,500 in 2010.