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Janel Knight Trulear
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(617) 875-6581

Survey of Texas small business owners shows bipartisan concern over high healthcare costs, appetite for policy to improve healthcare pricing and transparency

The survey reflects a nearly equal representation of Republican (27%), Democrat (29%) and Independent (17%) respondents, revealing a bipartisan concern and consensus on the issue 

Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023– The 110 Texas respondents in a new Small Business for America’s Future survey of 1,015 small business owners across the country reveals that 94% of participants believe the healthcare market is broken and show strong support for legislative solutions ranging from regulating anti-competitive practices to boosting price transparency in billing in order to bring down the costs. There was near balanced political representation of the respondents, which underscores the universal nature of healthcare challenges among small businesses, transcending traditional partisan lines and emphasizing a broad-based demand for effective policy solutions. 

Eighty-one percent of Texas small businesses participating in the survey said that the cost of healthcare impacts their businesses and constrains their ability to grow and hire and causes them to raise prices for their goods and services. Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage reached $23,968 in 2023, with workers on average paying $6,575 toward the cost of their coverage.  

“Our survey shows rising healthcare costs remain a top concern for small business owners posing a threat to their overall financial health and capacity for growth and development,” said Small Business for America’s Future Co-chair Dr. Erika Gonzalez, CEO, President, & Co-Founder of South Texas Allergy and Asthma Medical Professionals (STAAMP) and STAAMP Clinical Research in San Antonio. 

Key findings from the survey include: 

• 90% experienced increased premiums last year, with more than one in three facing more than a 15% hike, indicating the severity of rising healthcare costs.
• 81% of the small business owners surveyed indicated that healthcare costs impact their business’s bottom line. 
• 74% of respondents do not offer health insurance, mainly hindered by the high cost (59%), emphasizing the necessity for affordable healthcare options.
• The survey reflects a nearly equal representation of Republican (27%), Democrat (29%) and Independent (17%) respondents, revealing a bipartisan concern and consensus on the issue 

Texas Senate Bill 711, which passed with unanimous bipartisan support in the House and Senate and is now law, banned harmful practices like gag and anti-tiering by adding more transparency to the healthcare system in Texas. 

“Our survey results confirm there is an ongoing desire for even more legislation like this. The bipartisan concern highlighted in the survey reflects a shared experience across political lines -- healthcare costs are crippling for businesses regardless of our political affiliations. It's imperative that our legislators heed this call and work towards pragmatic solutions to ease this burden. We need policies that make sense for small businesses, that enable us to provide for our employees without jeopardizing our growth and sustainability,” said Gonzalez. 

Small business owners survey showed considerable support for legislative measures that increase price transparency (83%), create site-neutral billing (78%), facility fees (74%) and regulate anti-competitive practices (88%).

View the Texas and national survey reports here. 

To schedule an interview with SBAF Co-chair Dr. Erika Gonzalez or other small business owners contact: Janel Knight Trulear at janel@emccommunications.com or (617) 875-6581.

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About Small Business for America’s Future
Small Business for America’s Future is a coalition of small business owners and leaders nationwide working to provide small businesses a voice at every level of government. We’re committed to ensuring policymakers prioritize Main Street by advancing a just and equitable economic framework that works for small business owners, their employees and their communities. Visit www.smallbusinessforamericasfuture.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. #SmallBizAF