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Janel Knight Trulear
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(617) 875-6581

Small Business Group Remarks on 13th Anniversary of Affordable Care Act 

Statement by Small Business for America’s Future Co-Chair Walt Rowen, President of Susquehanna Glass Co., about the impact the Affordable Care Act has had on small business owners, their employees and their communities

March 23, 2023— For 13 years, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped expand healthcare coverage to tens of millions of Americans, including small business owners, their employees, and their families. 

The expansion of coverage is unprecedented in scale and has had a transformative impact on the lives of countless individuals. Currently, 35 million people have health coverage thanks to the ACA. The impact on Main Street businesses is profound. Small business owners and self-employed individuals constitute a substantial portion of Health Insurance Marketplace enrollment among working-age adults, accounting for 25% of enrollees.

The law has also helped spark a wave of new small businesses by incentivizing people to take the leap into entrepreneurship, with small business applications at higher than pre-pandemic levels. They’re able to leave a job with employer-based insurance and take this bold step knowing they will still have a healthcare option.

Despite the progress made under the ACA, more work needs to be done. We urge lawmakers to pursue policy solutions that lower out-of-pocket costs for purchasing health insurance and take further action to address the underlying issue of escalating healthcare prices. A Small Business for America’s Future survey found nearly half of small business owners have increased the prices of their goods or services to offset rising healthcare costs. The high cost of coverage and care creates real economic challenges and inflationary pressures. 

We urge lawmakers to focus on enhancing and refining the legislation, further reducing the financial burden on small businesses and their employees, and ultimately improving access to affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans. 

Walt Rowen recently submitted testimony about how the ACA helps small business to the House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health. Read the testimony here.

To request an interview with Small Business for America’s Co-Chair Walt Rowen, contact Janel Knight Trulear at (617) 875-6581 or janel@emccommunications.com. 

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About Small Business for America’s Future

Small Business for America’s Future is a national coalition of small business owners and leaders working to provide small businesses a voice at every level of government. We’re committed to ensuring policymakers prioritize the nation’s 30 million small businesses to create an economy that works for them, their workers and their communities. Visit www.smallbusinessforamericasfuture.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. #SmallBizAF.