If you were to ask an employer to list his major concerns, undoubtedly health insurance would be one of the first items mentioned. Health insurance premiums aren't just rising: they're soaring. And there's no end in sight. In fact, some manufacturers have told us recently that they aren't hiring because of the costs of health insurance.

So it was surprising to see that Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) will push for a bill in Congress requiring employers to provide their workers with mandated health insurance. Kennedy's plan would require most employers — those with five employees or more — to underwrite at least 75 percent of a health insurance package.

"For decades, we have required employers to contribute to Social Security and Medicare. We require them to pay a minimum wage and contribute to unemployment insurance. Now it is time to say that they also have an obligation to contribute to the cost of health insurance for their workers," Kennedy said in outlining his proposal at the National Press Club in Washington.

Most distributors have some sort of health insurance package for their employees. The majority of them probably pay less than 75 percent of their health insurance package, which is pretty high. In today's tough economic climate, employers, ironically, are requiring their employees to pay a higher percentage of their health insurance premiums.

Kennedy does raise a good point about employers. What is their "obligation"? Frankly, to me it appears that their obligation really is to provide a job. Sure it makes good business sense to provide benefits such as health insurance, pensions and the like to attract and keep employees. But in this economic environment, with hundreds of thousands of people out of work, does it make sense to put another burden on employers who are, in many cases, trying to keep their heads above water and hope that this recession will soon end so they can add to their payrolls?

No one can argue that there are too many people in this country without health insurance. But putting the burden on employers is the wrong medicine to solve the health insurance problem and could lead to further layoffs. That's in no one's best interests.

Jack Keough Editor/Aassociate Publisher jkeough@reedbusiness.com