New Websites Walk Entrepreneurs Through Ins and Outs of Small Business Health Insurance Marketplaces
In wake of news that online portion of federal small business health insurance marketplace will be delayed, Small Business Majority launches state-specific health coverage guides to help entrepreneurs navigate the enrollment process through the small business marketplaces
Small Business Majority today launched a set of new Health Coverage Guides for a number of states̢??California, Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia and Washington̢??that walk small business owners through the new small business health insurance marketplaces and provide resources that will help them begin the enrollment process.
On Nov. 27, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the online portion of the federal small business marketplace through Healthcare.gov will be delayed a year. However, small businesses in states with a federally-run marketplace can still enroll exactly as they do now in the outside market. What̢???s more, this delay does not affect the 17 state-run marketplaces, which include states such as California, Colorado, New York, Oregon and Washington.
The Health Coverage Guides walk small businesses through the enrollment process and explain the complex terminology and options the marketplace offers. They detail who̢???s eligible for coverage, how to choose a health plan, how owners can enroll their business and their employees and what the marketplace provides. They also answer questions about the Affordable Care Act and the health insurance market in general. In addition, the Guides provide contact information for Small Business Majority̢???s small business health insurance experts if entrepreneurs have questions that aren̢???t addressed on the websites.
̢???There continues to be tremendous confusion around the new marketplace, especially for small business owners,̢???? said John Arensmeyer, Founder & CEO of Small Business Majority. ̢???These websites are exclusively for small business owners looking to get information about the marketplace, clear up any confusion they have and find out how they can enroll in a plan today.̢????
The new health insurance marketplace is still the most important component of the Affordable Care Act for small businesses. The marketplace will allow small businesses to pool their buying power to help drive down coverage costs. And small employers that do offer coverage may also be eligible for a tax credit of up to 50 percent of their premiums.
View a list of the state websites at http://healthcoverageguide.org/states/
<p><strong>About Small Business Majority</strong><br />
Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing America's 28 million small businesses today. Since 2005, we have actively engaged small business owners and policymakers in support of public policy solutions, and have delivered information and resources to entrepreneurs that promote small business growth and drive a strong, sustainable economy. We are a team of more than 30 working from our 11 offices in Washington, D.C. and 9 states, with a network of more than 45,000 small business owners and more than 2,000 business organizations, along with a formal strategic partnership program of more than 125 business organizations, enabling us to reach more than 500,000 entrepreneurs. Our extensive scientific polling, focus groups and economic research help us educate and inform policymakers, the media and other stakeholders about issues including taxes, healthcare, access to capital, entrepreneurship, workforce development, clean energy and immigration. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/SBM_Media" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessMajority" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/smlbizmajority/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p>