Small Business Majority and Business Partners Covering All the Healthcare Bases as Open Enrollment Begins Oct. 1

Open enrollment in the small business health insurance marketplaces begins tomorrow, October 1, and Small Business Majority and numerous partner organizations are doing a full-court press to ensure entrepreneurs have all the educational options and resources they need to understand this large and complex law.

Today, Small Business Majority held a national press call with the U.S. Black Chamber, Inc., the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and small business owners in Maryland and Missouri to provide information about the marketplaces opening tomorrow. But for the past year Small Business Majority and its partners have been holding scores of events and producing a plethora of educational materials to ensure small businesses know about the law and are ready for enrollment in the new marketplaces. Our activities include:

• Holding hundreds of educational seminars across the country
• Creating a national website in English and Spanish walking employers through the insurance decision making process
• Holding numerous educational calls with small businesses and those implementing the law, to allow small businesses to get information right from the source
• Creating social media, video and infographic tools to help small businesses better understand the law
• Creating fact sheets outlining what̢??‰?s in the law for various groups of small businesses, including African-American small businesses, women-owned small businesses, LGBT small business owners and more.
• Flying Small Business Majority̢??‰?s Network Council to D.C. in September to share their views on the law with powerful policymakers

̢???We̢??‰?ve been focused on educating small businesses about this law since it went into effect,̢???? said John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority. ̢???There̢??‰?s been so much rhetoric and political gamesmanship around the law, but what small businesses really want and need is the facts so they know what to do to comply with, and even benefit from, provisions coming online soon. We have countless resources̢??‰۝from websites to webinars to in-person events to conference calls with policymakers̢??‰۝all aimed at educating small businesses about this law so they̢??‰?re prepared.̢????

Small business organizations across the nation know how important these marketplaces are to entrepreneurs. See what they̢??‰?re saying about insurance marketplaces and open enrollment starting October 1:

Barbara Kasoff, President of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP): ̢???It is imperative that America's 7.8 million women business owners and their employees be aware of the obligations and opportunities in Obamacare. WIPP will continue to educate women business owners on the Affordable Care Act including how to shop in the small business and individual marketplaces as well as the responsibilities of required of employers. Understanding the impacts of the law on our businesses and the changes to healthcare in general is important looking forward.̢????

Bill Imada, Chairman, Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (ACE): ̢???There are more than 1.6 million businesses owned and operated by Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Due to the diversity that exists in our community, our businesses need healthcare options and solutions that are clear, concise and culturally pertinent to our companies and employees.̢????

Connie Evans, President and CEO, Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO): "The Affordable Care Act may influence how America's 25.5 million microbusiness owners are able to provide health insurance options for themselves and to their employees. AEO encourages entrepreneurs to familiarize themselves with the ACA's provisions. It is essential that they develop an understanding of the intricacies of the Exchange marketplace, and how it will apply to their enterprises. In order to help microbusinesses navigate the marketplace, AEO's website houses links to tools and resources as part of our knowledge-sharing platform.̢????

Javier Palomarez, President & CEO of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: ̢???There are tens of thousands of uninsured Hispanics slated to benefit from the Affordable Care Act, but they need to know about what's in the law before they can reap those benefits. That's why we're working with Small Business Majority to educate small business owners. The USHCC has been a vocal advocate of ACA, and we are proud to support initiatives that educate and empower America̢??‰?s small businesses and workers, specifically those that provide useful tools that increase their knowledge on how ACA will impact their lives.̢????

Justin Nelson, President & Co-Founder, National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce: ̢???It̢??‰?s essential for LGBT business owners to understand the facts. It̢??‰?s time to get past the rhetoric and see what is valuable in the ACA and the NGLCC wants to make sure our stakeholders know how to navigate and implement changes that will lower costs for businesses and improve coverage for their employees.̢????

Katie Vlietstra, Director of Government Affairs for the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE): "For the first time, the self-employed will be able to secure comprehensive health insurance in the individual marketplace. We continue to work aggressively to educate and inform the 22 million as to how open enrollment will benefit them on October 1, 2013. No longer will the self-employed be forced to purchase health care products that do little to protect them and their business, while also no longer being denied health care coverage due to pre-existing conditions. There are a lot of small things that will have a significant impact on the self-employed."

Tobin Van Ostern, Advisor for Strategic Partnerships, Young Invincibles: "Access to the new health insurance marketplaces will provide new options for this generation's many entrepreneurs to obtain health insurance for them and their employees. These options will also help many new entrepreneurs take that big step and pursue their dreams of launching a new business, without having to worry about foregoing their own coverage while they get up and running."