| Weekly Update from Sam |
| Dear Friends,
On Wednesday, the Obama administration announced that only 26,000 people in 36 states have purchased health insurance on the federal exchange. The 14 state-managed exchanges are only doing marginally better. The nationwide combined total of Obamacare enrollees after a month and a half would fill one football stadium. These low-participation numbers contrast with the millions who are finding their plan has been canceled because it didn’t fit the new health law’s requirements. Former President Bill Clinton is one of many who have expressed concern that the President hasn’t kept his pledge: “If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period.” The President’s effort to pick up the ball by announcing on Thursday that (despite the law) insurers may offer their canceled plans for one more year does not fulfill that promise.
On Thursday, the President admitted fumbling the rollout of the program. He has promised a fix to the botched website by the end of November – two months after the exchanges opened online – but indications are that the glitches will continue beyond November. The administration has also said it plans to open the twice-delayed Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchanges by then. Regardless of whether these new deadlines are met, the President’s health care law continues to cause economic uncertainty across the country and distress for many Americans as they lose their health insurance.
It’s time for more than apologies; it’s time for action. Continuing the football analogy, this law should be benched before it does more harm, and the country should come together to find better health care solutions.
Sincerely,
Sam Graves
Chairman
|
|
Latest Committee Action
|
On Wednesday, Chairman Graves introduced a bipartisan resolution to support a designated “Small Business Saturday,” that celebrates America’s 28 million small businesses and encourages people to shop locally November 30, 2013 – the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The designation of a Small Business Saturday helps raise awareness of the impact of small businesses on the U.S. economy and the value of thriving small businesses to every community. Stores and other businesses throughout the country traditionally experience a major upswing in economic activity the weekend following Thanksgiving Day. Since 2010, Small Business Saturday has emphasized a “shop local” theme that follows up the “Black Friday” advertising of major retail outlets.
On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Health and Technology, under the chairmanship of Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), held a hearing about whether self-insuring health benefits is a viable option for small businesses looking for certainty and affordability as Obamacare is implemented. Self-insuring is when an employer assumes all or a portion of the costs and risks of sponsoring their company’s health care benefits plan, instead of purchasing a plan from an insurer who bears the risk. Because the health care law exempts self-insured plans from several of its costly requirements, more companies are considering self-insurance as an option to provide competitive and tailored health benefits to their employees. |
|
News from Washington
|
| On Friday, by a vote of 261-157, the House passed the Keep Your Health Plan Act, H.R. 3350. The bill allows insurance companies to once again offer the plans that have been terminated due to Obamacare.
|
| Stay Plugged In |
Be sure to check out the House Small Business Committee on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for all the latest in Small Biz news and resources and to join the conversation. We value your input, so tell us about your small business on our interactive website Small Biz Open Mic.
|
|
| November 15, 2013 |
 |
| What We're Reading |
|
|
|
Small Biz Resources
|
|
|
| Tweet of the Week |
| @Franchising411 Sticker shock: new survey finds 29% of franchises have seen costs increase due to #Obamacare http://bit.ly/17uxqxr |
| |
|
