Healthcare

Small Business Majority submitted an updated memorandum in support of New York's Fair Pricing Act (S705/A2140), which would provide needed relief to thousands of New York small business owners and employees and save more than $1 billion annually in healthcare spending in the state.  

On May 19, Small Business Majority sent a letter to the U.S. House Committee on Small Business in opposition of H.R. 5498, the Small Business Health Options Awareness Act of 2025, which directs the Small Business Administration (SBA) to promote the availability of Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs) to small businesses. 

Small Business Majority offers this Memorandum to outline the necessary healthcare policy actions that small businesses require in the wake of federal cuts to Medicaid and the longtime epidemic of healthcare unaffordability in the state. 

Lack of access to affordable healthcare has, for a long time, been a major barrier to entrepreneurship in this country, and New York has the second highest health expenditures per capita, following only the District of Columbia, with more than 740,000 New Yorkers reporting having medical debt.  
 

On April 30, Small Business Majority State Policy & Advocacy, Vice President Awesta Sarkash submitted written testimony requesting an amendment to Senate Bill 26-178, which would provide stopgap funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise (HIAE). This is a critical measure that would help lower healthcare costs for Coloradans on the individual market.

On April 14, Small Business Majority, The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, and Families USA held a briefing on Capitol Hill for congressional staff on the need for healthcare price transparency reform. Access to affordable, high-quality healthcare provides a critical safety net for entrepreneurs and their employees; it also helps small firms recruit and retain talented workers.

On March 27th, Small Business Majority State Policy & Advocacy Vice President Awesta Sarkash sent a letter to Colorado Senate Health & Human Services Committee in opposition to SB26-140. This legislation would prevent Colorado’s Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) from reviewing the cost of hundreds of commonly prescribed medications that Coloradans struggle to afford every day.

This fact sheet examines how rising healthcare costs are straining small businesses and limiting access to affordable coverage for entrepreneurs and their employees. It highlights the growing reliance on programs like the ACA Marketplace and Medicaid, the impact of recent policy changes on premiums and coverage, and the difficult tradeoffs small employers face.

On March 10, Booksmith and Kepler's Books owner Christin Evans submitted testimony to the California Joint Assembly and Seante Health Committees on how rising healthcare prices impact small businesses and recommendations on how to make health insurance more affordable.