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Small business health insurance buyers can hopefully breathe a sigh of relief, since it appears that they won't be affected by the struggle over employer based coverage currently debated by Congress.

CNN Money is right - the question of whether or not a government run health care system would "upend" the employer insurance that currently covers 160 million Americans is one of the touchiest issues involved in the current drive to overhaul health care. It would be too easy for many employers to simply drop coverage, and allow employees to enroll in a government plan, funded by taxpayer dollars.

The answer to that concern is the "pay or play" clause that has been suggested. "The Health Committee bill includes a "pay or play" provision that would require employers to provide adequate coverage for their workers or subsidize a system that will."

Small business health insurance plans would be particularly vulnerable to fines imposed for not offering enough coverage. Often caught between providing for employees and making ends meet, many small business owners are simply unable to pay for higher premiums, and owners have been nervously awaiting the outcome of current health care debates.

But, according to the article, businesses of 25 employees or less would be exempted from the "pay or play" rule, protecting them from high fines and/or high premiums that could drive their businesses under.

Now, if small business health insurance could be purchased at a more affordable price, and still offer enough coverage to protect employees, that would be even better. But until then, keeping small businesses out of the "pay or play" debate is the only way to keep such employers from folding under.