Price transparency and competition: Key tools to lower healthcare costs for Main Street

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. Drawing on national survey data, the brief outlines strong support among small business owners for policies that increase price transparency, promote competition, and address the root causes of high healthcare costs to improve affordability and access.