Monroe business owner anxious after court ruling

MONROE — Carl Spencer launched a start up cabinet company with just two employees in 2005.

Now Spencer LLC has a payroll that has grown to 13 employees.

With three to four years of steady growth, Spencer decided this year for the first time to provide health insurance for his workers.

“We were worried about starting it and not being able to afford it and we didn’t want to start and stop,” he said.

Spencer said his initial reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision on the federal Affordable Care Act was “great anxiety.”

The best way to explain his reaction, he said, was to compare it to his former work in computer programming.

“What I found was if you try to just sit down and start coding and come up with a program from start to finish, you have a lot of bugs in it,” he said. “And when fixing the bugs, after a while it dawns on you that in order to fix one bug, generally it generates unintended consequences.”

Rather than making sweeping changes, he would have preferred laws making smaller incremental changes in the federal health care law.

“It has nothing to do with the social need for good medical care,” he said. “It just has to do with how systems work.”

As a small businessman, he said he’s found that things work best when competition plays a role.

As one example, he said he’s watched as the cost of Lasik eye surgery, a procedure generally not covered by health insurance plans, dropped to as little as $599 per eye, from $2,000 an eye.

Spencer said he can’t buy insurance from any company outside Washington.

“There’s only a handful of suppliers,” he said. “If all these guys had to compete against each other like the cabinet companies, then the price would go a lot lower.”

He’s also frustrated by a system that generally doesn’t tell a patient in advance how much a particular procedure will cost.

“We have to foster a culture of responsibility,” he said. “It’s hard to do that unless you know the cost.”

Too often, people don’t put enough attention on steps they can take to prevent illness, he said. Over the past five years he said, he’s offered to reimburse employees for the cost of a flu shot, but few take him up on the offer.

In a small business like his, the absence of just one employee can have a big impact on production.

“We make a commitment to our customers,” Spencer said. “You bet I want them healthy — for a whole bunch of reasons.”

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

South County Fire plans push-in ceremony for newest fire engine

Anybody who attends will have the opportunity to help push the engine into the station.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Britney Barber, owner of Everett Improv. Barber performs a shows based on cuttings from The Everett Herald. Photographed in Everett, Washington on May 16, 2022. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
August 9 will be the last comedy show at Everett Improv

Everett improv club closing after six years in business.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Logo for news use featuring Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Snohomish County will host climate resiliency open house on July 30

Community members are encouraged to provide input for the county’s developing Communitywide Climate Resiliency Plan.

Monroe Mayor Geoffrey Thomas talks to the crowd about the new "Imagine Monroe" city flag and symbol before the ribbon cutting on Monday, July 14, 2025 in Monroe, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Monroe unveils its new $17M City Hall and municipal court

Mayor Geoffrey Thomas showcased the new campus to residents, local and state officials during a celebration Monday.

National Weather Service issues red flag warning for slopes of Cascades

High temperatures, low humidity and winds are combining for critical fire weather conditions, either “imminent or occurring now.”

Photo courtesy of Graphite Arts Center
Amelia DiGiano’s photography is part of the “Seeing Our Planet” exhibit, which opens Friday and runs through Aug. 9 at the Graphite Arts Center in Edmonds.
A&E Calendar for July 10

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.