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Date
2024
Abstract
Employee-sponsored health insurance is the primary model of health insurance in the United States; however, it is increasingly difficult for small businesses to provide employees with comprehensive coverage. Rural communities face numerous health care disparities compared to urban counterparts, including access to affordable health care for small businesses. The highest rate of uninsured working Vermonters comes from those working at small companies (under 50 employees), which is significant because 20% of businesses in Vermont have fewer than 20 employees. Additionally, even when employers can offer insurance, the majority of employees (over 75%) decline enrollment due to high costs. This project explores the financial challenges employers face and contextualizes them to small businesses in Orleans County, Vermont. The outcome was the creation of educational materials to be provided to small businesses in Vermont that include resources on traditional private insurance, Medicaid, independent Direct Primary Care, and health share coverage.
Clinical Site
Blue Spruce Health
Keywords
health insurance, primary care, rural health, small businesses, Vermont, community health, occupational health
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Disciplines
Medical Education | Primary Care
Recommended Citation
Nicozisin, Zoe S., "Access to Affordable Healthcare and Health Insurance for Small Businesses in Rural Vermont" (2024). Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects. 1016.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1016