Healthcare

On June 4, Small Business Majority Founder and CEO John Arensmeyer sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging Congress to pass the Right to Contraception Act, which would expand and protect access to reproductive healthcare tools like contraceptives.

On May 21st, Small Business Majority, alongside Main Street Alliance and the American Sustainable Business Council, filed an Amicus Brief in support of the recent Final Rule issued by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) which outlines guidance on how employers and employees can comply with the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The PWFA, which went into effect in June 2023, requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

On May 29, Small Business Majority submitted written testimony to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs’ Subcommittee on Economic Policy examining how threats and restrictions to reproductive freedom across the country have impacted women entrepreneurs’ ability to start and grow their businesses. For more information, check out our research on reproductive healthcare access here.

Small Business Majority signed on to a letter with 15 other California organizations and advocates to support AB 3129 (Wood), which would extend the California Attorney General’s oversight authority to private equity and hedge fund acquisitions of healthcare facilities including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities and physician groups.

On May 3rd, Small Business Majority submitted a response to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Federal Trade Commission’s joint Request for Information on consolidation in healthcare. Our response outlines how the rise of healthcare consolidation, through hospital mergers and private equity investments, has contributed to higher costs for small businesses administering healthcare plans for their employees nationwide.

On March 19, Small Business Majority's Georgia Director, Rachel Shanklin, submitted testimony for the record before the Georgia Senate Regulated Industries Committee on HB 1339. The proposal would establish a Comprehensive Health Coverage Commission to study the critical issue of closing the Medicaid coverage gap in Georgia. 

On March 15, Small Business Majority submitted a response to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce's request for information (RFI) to provide feedback on the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Our response recognizes the importance of healthcare plans regulated under ERISA, and we argue that state regulated plans have great potential to offer quality and affordable healthcare coverage to small businesses nationwide.

On March 12, Small Business Majority submitted written testimony to the Senate Committee on the Budget examining how our nation’s women entrepreneurs are impacted by efforts to restrict reproductive freedom at both the federal and state level. 
 

On Feburary 22, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Virgoda testfied before the Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee in support of SB 24-080, legislation that will require health insurance carriers to comply with federal price transparency laws and pharmacy and drug cost reporting laws. If passed, this legislation will ensure insurance carriers adhere to federal regulations, increase healthcare price transparency and help small business owners and Coloradans make more informed decisions.