SMALL COMPANIES ARE IN BIG PAIN OVER HEALTH CARE.

Studies the insurance dilemma which is typical of a growing trend among small companies. As insurance premiums continue to mount, a growing number of employers--primarily small ones--are ditching their health coverage. The problem is likely to intensify as the economy heads downward; A relentless rise in the ranks of the uninsured; Biggest problem is the fragmentation of the risk pools that insurance companies use to spread costs among many people.