Manager's Amendment Bolsters Senate Healthcare Reform Bill

The manager's amendment to the Senate healthcare bill, introduced today, includes new provisions essential for small business protection and survival. It gives small business owners a huge boost and will not only help them afford health insurance for themselves and their employees, but will save small business jobs.

This amendment addresses small business owners number one priorities in healthcare reform: controlling costs and increasing accessibility. Most importantly for small businesses, the amendment:

• Introduces more cost containment measures and goes a long way in getting small businesses relief from the soaring price of health insurance
• Enhances and strengthens small business tax credits, and makes them available to small businesses immediately upon enactment of the legislation
• Provides small businesses with more choice by requiring that at least two multi-state health plans at least one of which must be a nonprofit plan be offered through all 50 state exchanges
• Instates medical malpractice reforms and reduces wasteful medical expenditures
• Protects small businesses from excessive insurance premiums by initiating stringent insurance reforms

Small business owners are in an untenable situation they desperately need comprehensive reform addressing their top concerns enacted now. We commend the senators who've worked hard on this bill to ensure small businesses get the support they need. With the inclusion of the manager's amendment, it's more important than ever that the Senate vote to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to ensure the continued success of America's 28 million small businesses and the overall health of the nation's economy.