COVID-19 is crippling small businesses, and insurance companies aren't listening

Amol Dixit, the owner of Hot Indian Foods—a popular restaurant with locations in the Minneapolis skyway and the Mall of America, among others—is determined to provide health insurance for employees he had to let go after Minnesota suspended dining out this week.


He had 35 workers across five stores. They’ve all been let go. Dixit now must scrounge up the cash to compensate them for the hours they worked last week. He’s been calling food vendors, suppliers, and utilities—everyone he owes money to—for temporary postponement so he could make payroll. Almost everyone has been understanding, he says.

Just as urgently, Dixit wants to continue providing health insurance to the employees who were covered through Hot Indian Foods, at least through April. Next month’s premiums are due to Blue Cross Blue Shield on March 20. He asked the health insurance carrier for an extension, any kind of flexibility at all. It was a nonstarter.

“There’s obviously zero income coming in, zero revenue. And for the most part, vendors and suppliers have been cooperative and willing to work with us on payment deferral and delays. It’s surprising that health insurance providers are not willing to be flexible,” he says.

Read more: http://www.citypages.com/restaurants/covid-19-is-crippling-small-businesses-and-insurance-companies-arent-listening/568913771