Health Law Guide for Business

FYI – this is the release Health Law Guide for Business sent out this morning on the opening of Covered California. Please share with your partners as appropriate.          

                                          

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:     

October 1, 2013

CONTACT:

Carri Ziegler
carri@lucaspublicaffairs.com
916.492.2707 ext. 210 office
        

BUSINESS COMMUNITY APPLAUDS OPENING OF

CALIFORNIA’S HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE

Individual and small group coverage begins January 1, 2014

Today’s historic opening of California’s health insurance exchange provides the promise that individuals, small business owners and their employees will have access to affordable, quality health care coverage on January 1, 2014. Individuals can shop, compare and purchase coverage starting today. Small business can shop and compare today and will be able to purchase coverage in the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) beginning in November.  Following are statements from Health Law Guide for Business Partners:

“The Affordable Care Act is a massive endeavor with the ultimate goal of getting as many people covered as possible. While the SHOP is important to small business, it is dwarfed by the individual market so it is understandable that Covered California needs to prioritize. Small business owners can go online or work with a broker to get quotes today, they can enroll in November and, like individuals, they will be covered beginning Jan. 1. 2014.” 

-          Scott Hauge, President, Small Business California

“There are roughly 2.5 million uninsured Californians who work for small businesses, many of which are Hispanic owned. Whether small business owners and employees get enrolled through SHOP or the individual market, once the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, many of those who were priced out of the market will have access to affordable, high-quality health care because they’ll have options for tax credits or subsidies – that’s what’s most important and that hasn’t changed.”

-          Mark Martinez, President, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce

“It’s the right call to take as much time as is necessary to get these marketplaces set up correctly. Health reform – like Medicare Part D – will not ultimately be judged on its first few days but on the years long project of transforming the nation’s health insurance and healthcare delivery systems.”

-          Micah Weinberg, PhD, Senior Policy Advisor, BAYAREA COUNCIL

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Established in partnership with the Bay Area Council, California Chamber of Commerce, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, California Restaurant Association, California Small Business Development Centers, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Business Group on Health, Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Small Business California, Small Business Majority, Valley Industry & Commerce Association and The California Endowment, Health Law Guide for Business is a resource for employers, employees and the media , providing accurate easy-to-understand information about business-specific provisions of the health care law. To learn more visit www.healthlawguideforbusiness.org.