More Than 250 Small Business Owners Sign Onto Letter Urging Lawmakers to Protect the Affordable Care Act

For Immediate Release: 
Thursday, March 9, 2017

Small business owners nationwide have signed onto a letter urging lawmakers not to repeal the Affordable Care Act because doing so would be bad for their businesses

 

Washington, DC—As part of Small Business Majority’s national sign-on campaign, more than 250 small business owners from across the country have signed onto a letter urging lawmakers not to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because the healthcare law has helped many entrepreneurs, particularly those with pre-existing conditions, to leave jobs with employer-sponsored coverage in order to pursue their dreams of owning a business. What’s more, many small businesses receive tax credits to help offset the cost of providing coverage, allowing more employers to receive comprehensive and affordable health insurance.

If the ACA is repealed, or proposed replacement legislation like the American Health Care Act becomes law, it will lead to tremendous instability in the insurance markets and premiums will skyrocket. What’s more, if proposals to roll back key provisions like tax credits, Medicaid expansion and protections for older and sick workers move forward, the impact on America’s small businesses and their employees will be harsh and swift.  

“The Affordable Care Act allowed me to realize my dream of becoming a business owner while receiving the level of care required for my pre-existing condition, which would be impossible for me to pay for out of pocket,” said Josh Lapp, co-owner of Designing Local in Columbus, Ohio. “The ACA removed the fear many would-be entrepreneurs feel about losing their health coverage, so repealing it would discourage entrepreneurship. Repeal will send a ripple effect to small businesses everywhere, and they are the backbone of the American economy.”

A number of politicians seeking to repeal and replace the ACA are the same ones who claim to care about small businesses, but repeal will actually discourage current and future entrepreneurship, especially among those with pre-existing conditions. In fact, if the law is repealed almost 30 million people would lose their health insurance, and it is estimated that more than one million jobs would be lost. Many of the affected would be small business owners and employees.

“Repealing the ACA will eradicate hard-won benefits that were decades in the making for entrepreneurs,” said Small Business Majority Founder & CEO John Arensmeyer. “Rather than political pandering, what we really need is a genuine effort to improve the existing law, not a so-called replacement bill that will actually hurt entrepreneurs by destabilizing insurance markets and driving up costs. The positive impact of the ACA on small businesses is undeniable, and anyone who says otherwise hasn’t been paying attention or cares more about partisan ideology than about helping small businesses. Our nation’s entrepreneurs and employees deserve better.”

Entrepreneurs can continue to sign onto the letter at: http://www.keepourcare.biz  

To schedule an interview with a small business owner who signed the letter or a representative from Small Business Majority, contact Simon Brown at [email protected] or (202) 289-0957.

 

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 50,000 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