With the economy falling deeper into a black hole every day, it's no wonder small employers are dumping their health benefit plans in a desperate attempt to keep from sinking in the storm. This accelerating trend leaves not only uncovered employees in the lurch, but independent agents as well, who often count on group health sales to keep their own firms in the black.

(The New York Times recently ran a piece on this troubling trend, headlined: “Small Payroll, But Big Woes On Insurance.” For the complete article, click here.)

Employers are not cutting health benefits with any pleasure. But with the bottom dropping out of the economy, and no clear light at the end of the tunnel, many small firms have no choice but to scale back their insurance costs if they hope to meet their payroll and other expenses.