Small business health insurance website still not available in US

While healthcare.gov, the U.S. government website for individual insurance is up and running, the small business site is not yet available, officials say.The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare does not know how many small businesses have enrolled off line yet, The Hill reported. To get the information they have to survey insurers.The Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, is the equivalent of individual healthcare exchanges for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.An official told the Hill the number of businesses enrolling this year is likely to be low because of problems with the website.In late November, the Obama administration said the site would not be launched until late this year because of the focus on healthcare.gov.Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., head of the House Small Business Committee, sent Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius a letter Thursday asking for information on enrollment."The administration touted the SHOPs as a competitive marketplace for small business owners to purchase insurance," Graves said. "However, since the law was implemented, some small business owners have been notified that their plans are being cancelled, and many now face sharply higher premiums for existing policies. Others, expecting more affordable coverage on the SHOPs, have instead found those plans have higher premiums, higher deductibles, and less comprehensive coverage."