Business leaders want to improve access to affordable health care; share concerns about unproven proposals

/ / Jim Doyle
Each year, our business leaders rank health care as their top concern. We’ve organized hundreds of briefings on how to control costs and expand coverage. Most of those briefings have focused on how to improve and extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but we have also covered proposals to repeal or replace it. Health care is a complicated business, but the market forces capable of controlling health care costs are simple: information, competition, and incentives. Government takeovers (single...
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An update on our work

/, , , , , / Jim Doyle, President
It’s been a year since President Trump’s election, and I have been reflecting on what has changed and how we at Business Forward have adapted. I’d like to take this opportunity to update you on our work. First, business leader engagement is up. For eight years, our mission has been to “help local business leaders fix Washington by bringing Washington to them.” Naturally, we worried dysfunction here in Washington this past year would depress interest. We were wrong. By every measure,...
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Obamacare Helps My Small Business – Business Leader Viewpoint

/ / Shumway Marshall, Digital Director
Kathie Leonard thinks about the cost—and value—of the health insurance she provides her employees a lot. And the manufacturing CEO says the debate in Washington over whether and how to replace the Affordable Care Act ignores an important perspective—how small businesses would be affected if Congress and the Senate vote to repeal or minimally replace the law. She shares her views in an op-ed published today in the Portland Press Herald, Maine’s most widely circulated newspaper. Kathie is...
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What’s next for health care policy?

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David Kendall, Senior Fellow for Health and Fiscal Policy at centrist think tank Third Way, discusses the likelihood of future health care legislation. He also explains what the Trump Administration can do to change U.S. health care policy without congressional action and how those changes could affect American businesses. Further Reading Third Way’s Health Care Resources
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SHOP 101: The Health Insurance Exchange for Small Businesses

/ / Erik Roos, Policy Analyst
On November 15, a new online exchange for the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) will go live on HealthCare.gov. The new portal (at www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/) will allow small businesses owners to compare and enroll in health insurance plans online. Prior to the launch of the new portal, enrollment in SHOP exchanges was only available through an insurance broker. SHOP may be beneficial for many small business owners that would like to provide health insurance. Here are the...
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Business leaders bring a results-oriented approach to health care

/ / Shumway Marshall, Online Director
Yesterday was the deadline for individuals to purchase health insurance coverage during the open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act. The White House announced that it would grant extensions to those who began the process, but are unable to finish by Monday, and to those who recently experienced a qualifying life event, such as losing coverage, having children, or getting married. The employer mandate, which requires businesses with 50 or more full-time employees to offer health...
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The Affordable Care Act: Moving Forward Together

/ / Jerry Ross, Executive Director of the National Entrepreneur Center
Few places can awe you just by their sight. But I have to say, last week I was moved, awed, and inspired at the opportunity to attend an event in the White House Rose Garden. I have taken the visitor’s tour of the White House before (I still have the picture book), but being a guest at a White House event is a whole different experience. Smartly dressed service men and women in uniform greeted our party as we made our way through security. As I arrived at the courtyard, a military band...
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The 80/20 Rule: Lower Costs and Fairer Premiums

/ / Zak Newman, Research Associate
In a speech earlier this month, President Obama highlighted the ongoing positive effects of the Affordable Care Act’s “80/20” rule. The rule caps health insurance profits and overhead costs at 20% of premium costs, saving 80% of premium costs for actual medical care and healthcare improvement costs. With the development of state-based healthcare marketplaces, the rule – formally called the “Medical Loss Ratio” (MLR) rule has already begun to shrink premium...
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New Report: The Value Of Efficient Health Care Marketplaces

/ / Nikhil Joshi, Research Director
The health insurance marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act are scheduled to open in just over two months. Proponents of the law argue the marketplaces will offer high-quality insurance at competitive rates for millions of consumers. Critics argue Americans, especially those who are healthy, will balk at enrolling, causing the would-be markets to unravel. In a new report, we draw on a rich body of independent research that uses detailed real-world health care datasets to infer...
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How the new ACA announcement impacts your business

/ / ALEXANDER ANDRESIAN, DIGITAL ASSOCIATE
Last week, the White House announced that it will allow businesses more time to comply with new regulations stipulated under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Specifically, the Administration has delayed the mandate requiring businesses with more than 50 employees to provide health care coverage — moving it from 2014 to 2015. Here’s what the announcement means for your business: If you are among the ninety-six percent of small businesses with less than 50 employees, the...
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