Arizona small business owners overwhelmingly oppose the idea of a government mandate requiring they offer health insurance to workers, according to a new survey

The National Federation of Independent Business polled Arizona small business members asking if the state should require all employers to offer health benefits. Ninety-five percent of the NFIB survey respondents opposed that idea. Two percent approved of the idea.

There are plans a foot at the state and federal levels as well as on the presidential campaign trail to increase health insurance coverage. Democrats tend to support universal health care coverage, either via an employer mandate or some kind of government-run system. A proposal to implement universal health insurance also could show up on the 2008 ballot.

Republicans including Arizona Sen. John McCain back a market and consumer-driven health insurance system.

Small businesses often struggle to cover their workers because of costs and inflation. There are more than 1 million uninsured residents in Arizona -- a quarter of them children. The U.S. is the only industrialized country without some kind of universal system.

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