NASE guide designed to help Arizona small businesses with looming Obamacare (Phoenix Business Journal)
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Angela Gonzales
Senior Reporter- Phoenix Business Journal
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As the Oct. 1 open enrollment date looms for the Small Business Health Options Program under the Affordable Care Act, most small business owners in Arizona have no idea what to expect.
However, the National Association for the Self-Employed released a guide today to educate the state’s nearly 500,000 small businesses on the new health system.
“While the new law may provide better and more comprehensive health coverage for many of Arizona’s smallest businesses, it will come at a significant cost,” said Katie Vlietstra , NASE’s director of government affairs. “Over 480,000 self-employed and micro-businesses throughout the state of Arizona are bracing for an increase in health care costs coming their way. Our fear is that many of these small businesses will conduct a cost-benefit analysis and decide to pay the penalty because the cost of coverage is just too expensive and they do not qualify for any premium assistance.”
The Affordable Care Act in Brief highlights how the new health care law will impact 22 million self-employed and micro-businesses nationwide, including the over 480,000 in Arizona. It outlines the pros and cons of health care coverage small businesses must consider while underlining the lack of information in the public domain about the health care law, the Health Care Exchanges and details of enrollment requirements.
Angela Gonzales covers health, biotech and education.