Affordable Care Act in Brief Released by NASE

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With just under three months until Americans begin to enroll in our nation’s new health care system, the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE)—a leading resource and advocate for the self-employed and micro-businesses—released a new fact sheet, the Affordable Care Act in Brief, outlining the impact of the health care law on America’s smallest businesses.

“While the new law will provide better and more comprehensive health coverage, the downside is the increased cost for many of America’s smallest businesses,” said Kristie Arslan, NASE’s president and CEO. “Our fear is that many 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. 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 Exchanges and details of enrollment requirements. The Affordable Care Act in Brief is based upon a detailed presentation by NASE on the impact the new health care law will have on the self-employed.

“With enrollment in the Exchanges beginning October 1, information regarding how millions of people will purchase health care continues to be sparse and incomplete,” said Katie Vlietstra, NASE’s director of Government Affairs. “While larger companies and businesses know what their expected costs will be, the self-employed and micro-businesses continue to operate in the dark. The bottom line is health insurance premiums are a significant expense for America’s smallest businesses, and the inability for them to properly plan and budget for 2014 is unacceptable.”

A keystone of the Affordale Care Act is the requirement that new health marketplaces, known as an Exchange, be set up in every state to offer health coverage options to individuals, families and small businesses to meet this new health coverage requirement.

The Exchanges will either be offered and operated by a state, a partnership between the state and the Federal Government, or just the Federal Government for those in states who have opted out and will default to the Federal Exchange.

Beginning on January 14, 2014, Americans will be required to purchase health care coverage or pay a penalty. Enrollment in the Exchanges open on October 1, 2013. In addition to the NASE’s small business health resource center, the government recently re-launched a new website portal for the public to learn more about the new health care law and it’s Exchanges: www.HealthCare.gov.

The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, bringing a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy. The NASE Small Business Locator helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at www.nase.org.

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