Published May 2005

Poll: Health care, energy
top concerns for biz women

SCBJ Staff

Health care, energy and Social Security reform were the top three concerns of women business owners in a recent survey conducted by Women Impacting Public Policy, a national, bipartisan organization representing women in business and women business owners.

The poll, “What Women Want,” found that 84 percent of those surveyed said an overhaul of the health-care system is necessary, with more than 70 percent identifying the rising cost of health care as the most critical issue they face, according to WIPP.

An overwhelming majority of those surveyed indicated they expected a rise in their premiums this year, said Terry Neese, WIPP president and chief executive.

As a result, “they are thus hiring fewer individuals because it is critical to them that they continue to supply good benefits to their employees in order to retain their employees,” said Neese, a co-founder of the 4-year-old organization.

Conducted online in February, the WIPP survey found that energy ranked as the second most important issue, with 78 percent in favor of developing alternative energy sources by providing tax and monetary incentives to manufacturers and users.

“We were very shocked that that was number two. It had never come up in our surveys before,” Neese said of the energy issue. “It just shows how in tune women are with the economy and what is happening economically around the world because of the gas prices and things that are happening right now around energy.”

Social Security reform also was of great concern to those surveyed, with more than 70 percent indicating that Congress should immediately address the issue, according to WIPP.

Other issues that garnered attention from the survey were tax codes as well as access to federal government contracts.

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