By Carlos Vargas

Massachusetts needs health care reform. The businesses and families of Dorchester need health care reform. The Massachusetts House of Representatives has passed a law that takes us in the right direction. It would expand MassHealth so that working families can get it. It would put a fair-share assessment on "free-rider" businesses, and reduce health insurance costs for small businesses like mine. The time to pass this law is now. The 550,000 Massachusetts residents without health insurance cannot wait any longer. Businesses like mine cannot wait any longer.

Health insurance is a basic necessity. Like quality housing, pure water, and clear air, it should be a basic right. One of my nephews works full-time for a company that does not offer health insurance. His wife would have preferred to stay home to take care of their children, but for the sake of the family she had no choice but to go out and find a job that offers health insurance. The strain on the family is enormous. This is a familiar story in Dorchester.

When I founded Vargas & Vargas insurance, it never occurred to me not to provide health insurance for my employees. I have 17 employees. It costs me over 14 percent of my total payroll to provide health insurance for them. I've seen double-digit yearly increases in my insurance costs for most of the past five years. There's no question that the rising cost of health insurance is a problem. But the cost of not providing health insurance is even greater&emdash;both for my business and for my community.

Most businesses in Massachusetts are like mine. We do the right thing. We provide our employees with insurance. But one in nineteen businesses is a "free-rider." These "free-riders" do not provide health insurance for their employees. We know the names of these companies. Walmart. Dunkin Donuts. Friendly's. They pay less than 7 percent of their payroll on health insurance, which means many of their employees are left with nothing. Who pays for their medical care when they show up at the emergency room? I do. You do. A surcharge is tacked onto every insurance premium to pay for them, the working uninsured.

It isn't fair that I have to pay extra to cover the insurance costs of these companies. I already pay 14 percent for my own employees. I should not have to subsidize these free-riders. The House bill changes that. As a result, 18 out of 19 businesses in the Commonwealth will benefit by seeing lower insurance premiums.

Vargas & Vargas Insurance is successful because of our employees. If these employers who do not provide such a basic benefit as medical insurance were to do so as well, perhaps they would find that their employees would be better employees knowing that their employer puts their medical needs above corporate profits and stockholder interests. Walmart and Dunkin Donuts are not going to leave Massachusetts because they are required to pay their fair share. They will stay and continue to make money in a healthier Massachusetts.

Being the richest and most powerful country on the face of the earth, it is sad and even embarrassing that we have citizens who work full time jobs and have no health insurance. It is even sadder that there are employers who have full time employees and choose not take care of them. We have the opportunity to change this in Massachusetts. We can be a leader for the nation. I am proud that our Dorchester State Representatives &endash; Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, Rep. Marie St. Fleur, and Rep. Martin Walsh all stepped forward to support this crucial reform effort.

We look forward to seeing the same kind of leadership on behalf of Dorchester businesses and families from Senator Jack Hart. He has been wisely awaiting all of the data on the potential impact of this groundbreaking legislation. But now he has that data in hand. It is clear that this reform will benefit the vast majority of businesses in our Commonwealth, will stimulate the Massachusetts economy, and, most importantly, will bring justice and compassion to our health care system.

Now is no longer the time for caution. It is a time for bold leadership. We need leadership from our elected officials, our business leaders, our religious communities, and every other sector of society. We must all pull together to pass this important legislation and enact historic health care reform in Massachusetts. We cannot afford to wait any longer.

Carlos Vargas is the founder and co-owner of Vargas & Vargas Insurance located on Washington Street in Dorchester. He can be reached at cvargas@vargasinsurance.com