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The ACA's Effect On Entrepreneurs Will Be...?

An article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal asked "Will Health-Care Law Beget Entrepreneurs?"

Will the availability of reasonably-priced insurance through public marketplaces or "exchanges" cause entrepreneurs to strike out on their own, leaving behind the comfort of big company benefits?

It's a good question, albeit one with no clear-cut answer at the moment. It all depends, I guess, on one's definition of "high-functioning exchanges" and "reasonable prices."

Still, it's a question to which large companies ought to be paying close attention. How many people work at jobs simply for the health insurance, jobs they'd leave in a heartbeat to follow their passion if insurance wasn't an obstacle? I don't know for sure, but I'd bet the answer is somewhere between "more than a few" and "a whole heckavu lot."

And those leaving are likely to be those the company wishes would stay - the innovators, the passionistas, those with entrepreneurial drive and burning competitive fires.

They leave and who stays?  The timid, the risk-adverse and the "Yes, but..." crowd.  I guess you can always hope that your competitors are as bad at retaining talent as you are.

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