By LUCAS L. JOHNSON II

Small businesses in Tennessee oppose any kind of health care mandate, including one approved in the House on Thursday that would require insurance companies to include hearing aids for individuals up to 18 years of age in their policies, said the state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.

The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Richard Montgomery of Sevierville was approved 82-12. The companion bill is awaiting a vote in the Senate Finance Committee.

Under the proposal, the companies would be required to pay up to $1,000 per hearing aid every three years. Montgomery said "it's critical for a child's learning ability to be able to hear."

Jim Brown, state director for the National Federation of Independent Business, said he's glad the bill's sponsors limited the size of the mandate, but said his members still aren't comfortable with it.

"About 90 percent of our members oppose any new health care mandate," Brown said. "The sponsors ... have done a good job in making sure that this wasn't the costliest of mandates, but what our members want is to go in the opposite direction."

Spotted here