American Health Care Act Will Drive Up Insurance Costs for Small Businesses

For Immediate Release: 
Thursday, March 9, 2017

Statement from Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer on how small businesses will be hurt by the American Health Care Act if it replaces the Affordable Care Act

 

After seven years, lawmakers who oppose the Affordable Care Act (ACA) finally unveiled a replacement plan in the form of the American Health Care Act. Repealing and replacing various aspects of the ACA, however, will do little more than create instability in the insurance market and reduce the ability of small business owners, their employees and self-employed Americans to obtain health coverage.

We believe the ACA can be improved, but replacing it with the American Health Care Act will impede entrepreneurial activity and reduce job growth. The legislation will make health insurance less attainable and affordable for most entrepreneurs. It also significantly rolls back Medicaid, which currently covers many small business workers. What’s more, the proposal penalizes small employers that hire older workers by charging those businesses up to 500 percent more for older employees than younger ones.

Small employers don’t want or need another healthcare overhaul; they need quality, affordable health coverage for themselves and their employees so that they can focus on running their businesses. Rather than repealing and replacing the ACA, lawmakers should abandon this proposal in favor of policies that will actually help America’s job creators.

About Small Business Majority

Small Business Majority was founded and is run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing small businesses today. Since 2005, we have actively engaged small business owners and policymakers in support of public policy solutions, and have delivered information and resources to entrepreneurs that promote small business growth and drive a strong economy. We regularly engage our network of 55,000 small business owners along with a formal strategic partnership program of more than 150 business organizations, enabling us to reach more than 500,000 entrepreneurs. Our extensive scientific polling, focus groups and economic research help us educate and inform policymakers, the media and other stakeholders about key issues impacting small businesses and freelancers, including access to capital, taxes, healthcare, retirement, entrepreneurship and workforce development. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 
Press State: 
National