Healthcare

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 3, 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.

On February 21, Small Business Majority's Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda provided comments before the Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Senate Bill 24-073. This legislation would redefine sizing standards for the small group healthcare plans, limiting the market to businesses with 1-50 employees and pushing out businesses with 51-100 employees. 

On February 16, Small Business Majority Founder and CEO John Arensmeyer provided feedback on the proposed rule to rescind the Department of Labor's (DOL's) 2018 Association Health Plan Rule. We applaud DOL for its proposal, in collaboration with the Biden-Harris Administration, to rescind the previous Administration’s ‘Association Health Plan’ Rule, in order to address rising healthcare costs for America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. 

Today, Small Business Majority Colorado Director Lindsey Vigoda testified before the Colorado Senate Health and Human Services Committee in support of Senate Bill 24-093, legislation concerning the continuity of healthcare benefits during the transition to a new health benefit plan. The bill would provide reasonable and necessary leeway so Colorado’s small businesses and employees can find a new provider.