ObamaCare business blues: what? So what? Now what?

• Author: Eoyang, Glenda
• Position: Medicine & Health - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

WHETHER your politics are deep red, deep blue, or somewhere in between, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act likely is making your life more difficult--or, at the very least, more confusing. There is no end to the speculation on what ObamaCare may cost companies. You have heard reports and rumors of owners dropping coverage, cutting full-time jobs to part time, and passing costs along to employees, and, if yours is a smaller company, the possibility of receiving the new Small Business Health Care Tax Credits-which require switching to plans purchased through a government exchange---adds an extra layer of complication. Frankly, all of the handwringing and second-guessing has you paralyzed. You just do not know what to do. Well, it is time to stop awfulizing, make some decisions, and get back to work. In short, break your Affordable Care Act paralysis.

At some point, you have to stop worrying and take action, even if you cannot predict the future or control what happens next. It is true that this is not the best of all possible decisionmaking situations. It combines the risks of uncertainty and high stakes. Still, you have to decide.

Why are so many business owners feeling stuck? Quite simply, it is because they have to make their health care decisions in a complex, shifting, and uncertain landscape of regulations and options. No matter how much research you do, no matter how many experts you consult, the future of health care in the U.S. is as unknowable as the future health of your employees. Your insurance decision space is wide open, dependent on many variables, and tied up with complex interdependencies.

Here is the thing: these kinds of decisions are not just about the raw numbers. One must factor in intangibles like employee engagement and goodwill and the long-term benefits of high productivity and low turnover. In the end, decisions based solely on saving dollars can come back to bite you. Bright, young prospective employees may find better offers elsewhere, and you surely will pay a high price for health care decisions that create or perpetuate a culture of fear and resentment.

So, there is confusion, uncertainty, and high-stakes outcomes. That is not exactly relaxing, but it is doable if you use adaptive action, which consists of three simple questions that help you deal with any complex problem: "what?," "so what?," and "now what?"

As for the first question, what do I know for sure about health insurance options for my...