Wall Street Journal (09/30/13) Ruth Simon

Many small businesses, concerned about rising costs in 2014 due to the federal health care law, are taking insurers up on offers to renew their current coverage early to lock in lower rates. A survey of 881 firms by the Wall Street Journal and Vistage International reveals that close to 33% will renew their health coverage earlier than usual. However, regulators in Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington have stopped insurers from renewing small businesses early as a means of skirting the law.

Meanwhile, a representative sampling of rates for plans to be sold on the federal small-business exchange will be issued by the federal government today.