Reform may be in the works, but it may also be a long ways off based on the uphill battle that will be fought to achieve it. In the meantime, small businesses cannot afford to wait when it comes to finding viable solutions for health insurance. With premiums skyrocketing, many companies with 20 or fewer employees find themselves faced with either cutting out benefits, or requiring their employees to pay a large percentage of their health care costs, at a rate which few can afford. However, a Jackonville, FL business owner has taken advantage of another possibility by joining a professional employer organization. Small businesses can join with employers of these PEO’s and use the larger number of employees to negotiate lowered rates and better benefits. Jane Alred, co-owner of Jacksonville’s 1st Place Sports used this tactic to reduce her employee’s premiums dramatically. However, joining a PEO requires use of other services such as payroll and human resource management, so a business has to decide if they have need for these services before deciding to join. However, it can be an ideal arrangement for many small companies which outsource their payroll and another components of their business. What do you think about this arrangement?