Small Business Majority submitted a letter of support to Chairman Jim Wood (CA-D) on AB 2118, which as introduced would require health plans and insurers to undertake overall rate reporting in the individual and small group insurance markets.
From stock market dips to shuttered storefronts, it’s no secret that the COVID-19 public health crisis has put too many businesses on the brink of collapse. Our network of 65,000 small businesses have painted a dire reality of what they are facing throughout the crisis, which has elevated the need for government officials to better understand the challenges faced by our nation’s entrepreneurs.
It’s no secret that California has been hard hit by the spread of COVID-19, with a vast 2.7 million applying for unemployment in the past four weeks, and the impacts have been particularly severe on small businesses that have seen their revenues take a nosedive overnight. With the economy on pause, Main Street has been left to cope with how to stay afloat during this unprecedented time.
It’s no secret that the spread of COVID-19 around the country has already had a devastating impact on small businesses. With the economy on pause and uncertainty gripping communities across the country, Main Street has been left to cope with how to stay afloat during this unprecedented time.
As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise throughout the country, so does its impact on our economy. From stock market dips to decreased foot traffic in thriving neighborhoods, it's vital that our federal and state officials enact short and long-term policies that will offset these effects, particularly for our small business community, whose success is critical to our nation's economic health. Focusing on key policy issues will help support America's job creators.
Small Business Majority submitted a letter of support to Chairman Gerg Harris (IL-D) on HB 4094, which would extend short-term, limited duration health insurance from the current 181 days to 365 days with the chance to renew coverage for up to three years.
Colorado Director Hunter Railey testifed in support of the Colorado Affordable Health Care Option, which would ensure that Colorado's entrepreneurs and small business employees have access to more affordable health coverage choices, while also helping to control costs throughout the state.
On January 27, 2020, Small Business Majority's Government Affairs Manager, Awesta Sarkash, testified before Virginia's Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor, in support of SB 404, health insurance; short-term limited-duration medical plans. Protecting the individual marketplace is important to entrepreneurs because many self-employed individuals and small business employees rely on the marketplace to purchase coverage.
In 2010, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted, Sadie Tuescher’s office at her county job in Milwaukee, Wisc. was flooded with people looking for help enrolling in coverage through the new marketplaces created by the law. She was overwhelmed by the influx of clients but quickly adapted and learned everything she could about the new healthcare law. It wasn’t long before her insurance agent husband was calling her daily with questions about the ACA.
On January 15, Small Business Majority filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to accept and quickly render a decision in the case of Texas v. U.S., which has challenged the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. This is necessary because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently declared the individual mandate is unconstitutional and ordered a lower court to reconsider whether the remaining components of the ACA may remain law.
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