Small Business Majority has created a comprehensive state policy agenda to ensure entrepreneurship is at the center of a thriving and inclusive economy in Georgia. The state’s 1 million small businesses comprise 99.6% of all businesses in the state, and they employ 1.6 million residents—nearly half of all Georgia employees.
Today, John Arensmeyer submitted a letter to Congressional House and Senate leadership outlining the key provisions in the American Families Plan that would support small businesses. Additionally, the letter provides healthcare policy recommendations on how to better support small businesses.
Small Business Majority submitted a letter to the California Assembly Health Committee Chairman Jim Wood in support of AB 1132, which will discourage anticompetitive behaviors in the healthcare industry. This bill will strengthen oversight over hospital mergers and consolidation by the Attorney General, a key measure to control healthcare costs and affordability for small business owners.
Why shop small? Because $0.67 of every dollar you spend at a small business gets invested back into the community. For Jeff Rogoff, owner of Sazza in Greenwood Village, Colo., this philosophy holds true. At Sazza, not only are the pizza toppings and cheeses locally sourced but so is the silverware, tables, glassware and branded merchandise.
“Being mindful of our community, working with our community and being a part of our community is all very important to us,” Jeff says.
Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda and small business owners Sarita Parikh, Sandra J. Payne and Jeff Rogoff will provide testimony on April 9 in support of HB 21-1232, which would establish the Colorado Health Insurance Option. The legislation is set to provide a lifesaving alternative for Colorado small business owners who are struggling to keep up with the increasing cost of healthcare.
Small Business Majority wrote to the Colorado Senate House Health & Insurance Committee in support of HB 21-1232, which would establish a standardized health insurance option, thus offering more accessible and affordable health coverage for small businesses.
Small Business Majority joined the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, Health Access California and Purchaser Business Group on Health (PBGH) in their support of the Office of Health Care Affordability, which would set enforceable targets for health care costs across the full spectrum of health care costs.
On March 17, Small Business Majority submitted a letter to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee in support of the proposed prescription drug affordability board in Colorado, which would help lower the cost of drug prescriptions for small business owners and enable wider access to life-saving medication.
During a series of three focus groups across the state of Colorado, Small Business Majority facilitated discussions with a variety of small business owners and self-employed workers to better understand their personal experiences that could inform policy conversations regarding Medicaid expansion, healthcare costs and coverage. These roundtable discussions occurred while COVID-19 dramatically impacted business and local economies. While the pandemic’s effect was often brought up by participants, this issue brief focuses on the broader impact of Medicaid expansion and of small business owners’ experiences and observations about Medicaid expansion and health insurance.
Historically, small businesses have struggled to access health coverage due to the cost, representing a disproportionate number of the working uninsured prior to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). And when they have been able to afford it, small businesses often paid more than their larger counterparts. These barriers are now being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as small businesses are forced to lay off or furlough employees and make cuts to benefits in order to survive the ongoing economic crisis. A recent national survey of small business owners sheds light on these ongoing issues facing small businesses, as well as their views on policy solutions that could help them access and afford coverage into the future.
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