A North Carolina woman currently living her dream- to own a salon- could soon shatter and crumble, leaving her employees to pay astronomical costs for health insurance, all because of Obamacare.
Julia Vittorio, owner of Fresh Salon for the past five years, is worried that she will not be able to provide her employees with health insurance."
"I think you just want the best for your employees. We are a small business and it’s very much like a family, so I care about our staff," Vittorio told WCNC.
She previously offered her employees health insurance and paid part of it, but has been forced to reconsider her decision because of the rising costs of premiums.
"We’ve been very proud to even carry it for this long, but it’s certainly a concern moving into the future if we’re going to be able to keep doing it," she explained.
"It’s frustrating and scary and you don’t know what to expect," said Veronica Cook, a hairdresser who has worked at Fresh Salon since it opened. She is not sure what she will do if she has to pay more for insurance.
"I don’t really know [how I will do it]. I don’t really know what I would do, in all honesty," Cook agonized.
Vittorio has yet to receive any answers from her health insurance carrier. "It’s a tough conversation to have. It’s a tough decision to make and think about it. You’re not just basing the decision on finances when there are people and their families involved," she said.