Rising Health Insurance Costs Are Crippling Small Businesses Across America

FireflySci Shares Firsthand Challenges as Costs Surge by Over $10,000 Annually

NORTHPORT, N.Y., March 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Small businesses across the United States are grappling with an alarming rise in health insurance costs, a growing burden that threatens their financial stability, employee benefits, and overall competitiveness. FireflySci , a small American company that manufactures cuvettes and calibration standards for labs worldwide, is just one of countless businesses struggling to absorb these escalating expenses. Over the past few years, FireflySci has experienced annual increases exceeding $10,000 from its health insurance provider, United Healthcare Oxford.

“This trend is simply unsustainable,” said Sim Woitovich, spokesperson for FireflySci. “We’re doing everything we can to support our hardworking employees and keep their benefits intact, but health insurance premiums are skyrocketing at an overwhelming rate. It’s creating an acute financial strain on businesses like ours, forcing impossible choices between investing in growth and taking care of our team.”

The impacts of these rising costs extend far beyond FireflySci. According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, health insurance costs for employers have increased significantly over the past decade, directly impacting the ability of small businesses to compete in a volatile economy. With limited resources, small businesses do not have the same negotiating power as large corporations when it comes to securing affordable insurance. This puts them at a distinct disadvantage, jeopardizing their viability and ability to attract and retain talented employees.

At FireflySci, the increased costs have required a reevaluation of cuvette manufacturing budgets and benefits structures. “Health insurance is one of the most important benefits we offer, and yet, we’re now in a position where these rising premiums are eating into funds we would otherwise use to grow our business and support innovation,” Woitovich explained. “We simply cannot maintain this trajectory year after year without long-term consequences.”

The ripple effects of this crisis are profound. Across the country, other small businesses are facing similar struggles. Some are being forced to reduce coverage, push more costs onto employees, or even make painful cuts to their workforce. For many entrepreneurs, the dream of owning a small business is now tarnished by an uphill battle against unforgiving operating costs.

The consequences extend beyond small business owners and their employees to the broader U.S. economy. Small businesses employ nearly half of the country’s private-sector workforce and contribute significantly to innovation and local development. However, rising operational costs driven by health insurance premiums threaten to stymie their growth and ability to compete.