Business Analyst Available to Discuss Harm Changes to Healthcare Law Will Cause Small Businesses

̢???We are extremely disappointed that the Department of Health and Human Services rubberstamped all 18 state requests to opt-out of employee choice for an additional year. According to the new HHS regulations, in order to be granted a delay states needed to provide concrete evidence based on a documented assessment of the full landscape of the small group market that implementing employee choice would cause adverse selection and raise prices. Small Business Majority obtained the letters of many of the requesting states, and most did not meet the minimum standards. Despite a failure to meet the standards, every state that requested a delay was granted one.

We believe there is no legal basis to delay employee choice in the first place, as the Affordable Care Act clearly requires this feature. Allowing states to opt out of it for yet another year could harm small businesses by putting them at a competitive disadvantage to big businesses that are able to offer a choice of plans to their employees. In states where the small business marketplaces are being run by the federal government, allowing for further delays in this feature also puts small businesses in those states at a competitive disadvantage to small employers in states whose marketplaces have employee choice. What̢??‰?s more, this component is key in distinguishing the new insurance marketplaces from the outside health insurance market.

We know small business owners want this feature. Small Business Majority̢??‰?s scientific opinion polling found two-thirds of small employers believe allowing employees to choose among multiple carriers is an important element of the healthcare marketplaces.̢????

John Arensmeyer, founder & CEO of Small Business Majority ̢??‰?? a national, non-partisan small business organization representing America̢??‰?s 28 million small businesses ̢??‰?? is available June 10 from Washington, D.C. and June 11 from New York City to discuss the administration̢??‰?s decision to delay the employee choice feature of the SHOP marketplaces in 18 states and how this could negatively impact small employers. He is available by phone in all other media markets.

To book an interview, or for more information, please contact: Allison Abney at (202) 289-0957 or [email protected].