Now is the Time for a Bipartisan Healthcare Bill That Will Help Small Businesses

For Immediate Release: 
Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Statement from Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer on why the GOP’s latest setback to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act underscores the need for a bipartisan solution to healthcare problems

Given last night’s news that Senate Republicans do not have enough votes to pass the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) in its present form, lawmakers should work toward a bipartisan solution that would stabilize the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces because doing so will greatly benefit our nation’s small businesses.

The secretive, exclusive process used by Senate Republicans to craft legislation that would repeal and replace the ACA has been nothing short of disgraceful. The BCRA in its current form is estimated to kick 22 million people off insurance by 2026, stifle entrepreneurial activity and stunt job growth, costing the U.S. economy an estimated one million jobs. It would also phase out the expansion of Medicaid, which covers millions of workers employed by small firms. What’s more, the BCRA would have created unbalanced risk pools that would have penalized small employers with older or sicker workers, driving up their costs, and made it nearly impossible for entrepreneurs with pre-existing conditions to access health coverage.   

We know there is now talk of considering a “clean” repeal of the ACA, with a possible replacement plan to come at some later date. If lawmakers choose to go down that road, it would be nothing short of a disaster for small businesses. With no viable path forward for the BCRA, repealing major portions of the ACA would return our healthcare system to the state it was in before the healthcare law was enacted–a time when small firms frequently faced double digit premium increases every year, and aspiring entrepreneurs with pre-existing conditions couldn’t start their own businesses because they could not afford their own insurance.

We absolutely cannot retreat to that chaotic environment, which is why Democrats and Republicans must now work together to stabilize and strengthen the ACA for the good of America’s job creators.

 

About Small Business Majority

Small Business Majority was founded and is run by small business owners to ensure America’s entrepreneurs are a key part of an inclusive, equitable and diverse economy. We actively engage our network of more than 55,000 small business owners in support of public policy solutions and deliver information and resources to entrepreneurs that promote small business growth. 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. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

 
Press State: 
National