State activity

Small Business Majority is actively working in partnership with a network of small business and advocacy groups to create a strong national voice in Washington, DC. In recent years, the healthcare reform effort has focused primarily on state legislative halls. Given the new emphasis on national healthcare reform by President Obama and Congress, we’re now mobilizing to ensure that the voice of small business is heard in the Capitol.

Along with our busy Washington, DC office, we have headquarters in Sausalito, California and an office in New York.

And we're working with groups in:
Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin

Alaska
On Aug. 6 we released a survey of 300 Alaskan small business owners and 100 commercial fishermen that explored their opinions about healthcare coverage and reform.

As a follow-up to the press conference, we conducted a statewide conference call on August 19. A number of chambers of commerce, fishing organizations and small business owners called in to hear our national policy director, Terry Gardiner, explain the current House and Senate healthcare bills and their potential impact on small business.

Arkansas
We held a press conference on September 17 to release a survey of Arkansas small business owners on their perspectives on healthcare reform. Results show that 71% believe reform is vital to getting the economy back on track. Nearly two-thirds don’t currently provide health insurance to their employees, and 83% of those cite lack of affordability as the reason.

Colorado
The Business Health Forum has been actively engaging the Colorado business community for the past two years on healthcare issues. Dedicated to involving business in the discussion, Teresa Tuschhoff has traveled throughout the state organizing forums to educate employers and gather small business stories.

A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey of Colorado employers in September 2008 revealed that healthcare is the most important issue affecting Colorado businesses as a whole. The cost of healthcare is the greatest concern, followed by lost productivity due to health issues and the quality of healthcare delivery. Seventy-five percent said that the cost of health insurance was most important to them.

Connecticut
Small Business for Health Care Reform is a network of Connecticut small businesses that provides an independent voice for high-quality healthcare in the state. Thanks to a major effort by the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, the state House of Representatives and Senate have both approved the SustiNet plan, which would open up state employees’ health insurance to anyone in Connecticut. Under the law’s parameters, no one could be denied coverage because of preexisting conditions and everyone’s risk would decline as more people enter the risk pool.

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Iowa
We surveyed 200 small business owners in Iowa about healthcare issues and released the results in a July 7 press conference along with our Midwest partner organization.

Louisiana
Sixty-nine percent of Louisiana small business owners support healthcare reform and believe it’s needed to get the economy back on track, according to a survey we released on July 22.

Maine
We held a press conference on July 29 to release the results of a survey of 200 small business owners in Maine on healthcare reform.

Maryland
Hundreds of Maryland small businesses have signed on to support a comprehensive plan for state healthcare reform. The proposal, which provides a detailed cost analysis, was developed by a broad-based coalition. Small businesses support this reform plan because it creates a statewide insurance pool, institutes measures that would improve quality, covers everyone and would lower small business insurance costs by 16%.

Missouri
We held a press conference on July 8 with our state partner in Missouri to release a survey of small business owners. Results revealed that two-thirds of entrepreneurs in the state believe healthcare reform is necessary for the health of the economy.

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Nebraska
We surveyed 200 small business owners in Nebraska on their opinions about healthcare and reform, and released the results at a press conference on July 7. Eighty-two percent of the respondents not offering health insurance said they can’t afford it.

New Hampshire
On July 28, we held a press conference in New Hampshire to announce the results of a survey of small business owners. We have also been working with New Hampshire advocates for healthcare reform to support their work on extending a state insurance program to young adults, and to reach out to small businesses in the state.

New Mexico
We worked with our state partner in New Mexico, Small Business Voices for Health Care (SBVHC), to carry out a survey of small business owners in New Mexico in December 2008. The results, consistent with those of 15 other state surveys we’ve conducted, show that small business owners are ready for reform. SBVHC is building a coalition of small business owners to advocate for healthcare reform in New Mexico.

North Carolina
The high cost of health insurance is a significant problem for North Carolina small business owners, according to a survey conducted in June. Eighty-eight percent believe that health insurance should be available regardless of past health problems, and 74% of those say that preexisting condition rules are a barrier to starting a new business.

North Dakota
Of the small business owners in North Dakota that don’t provide health insurance, 88% say they can’t afford it, according to a telephone survey conducted in May. A large majority (72%) say that healthcare reform is vital for getting the economy back on track.

Ohio
Small Business Majority works closely with Ohio’s Small Business Network on Healthcare (SBNH). Together, we conducted a survey of 300 small business owners in Ohio, the results of which were released in April. The organization’s director, Tom Scheid, has begun building an active small business membership base throughout Ohio. Our joint goal is to increase the state’s small business spokesperson network to advocate for healthcare reform both locally and nationally.

We also co-sponsored a July 28 conference call with small business owners and organizations in Ohio to inform them about what’s going on with healthcare reform in Washington, DC.

Oregon
Oregon Small Business Healthcare Initiative (OSBHI) represents a network of small business groups and owners focused on healthcare reform.

The state legislature in early June approved legislation to provide healthcare coverage to 80,000 children and 35,000 low-income adults by leveraging federal matching dollars through a tax on healthcare providers and insurers (which will ultimately see some of their tax dollars returned). While OSBHI supports the expansion of coverage, the organization was hoping for more broad-based reform that would make insurance more affordable for small business.

Pennsylvania
In a press conference on September 24, we released the results of a telephone survey of 200 Pennsylvania small business owners. Results show that the majority believe employers have a responsibility to provide health insurance to their employees, but 71% of those who currently do are struggling to afford it.

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South Carolina
The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce (SCSBC) is a statewide advocacy organization working to make state and local government friendlier to small business. Taxes, health insurance, workforce development, economic development, energy, utility rates, workers’ compensation insurance and government procurement policies are some of the issues SCSBC is addressing on behalf of South Carolina’s small businesses.

Tennessee
The Tennessee Small Business Coalition (TSBC) has been very active in engaging small business throughout the state. The organization, under the direction of Lori Smith, contracted with Vanderbilt University to help build a research study of small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. The survey was released on July 7 at a press conference in which Small Business Majority participated. The survey of 245 small business owners found that the vast majority agree that businesses in Tennessee need access to stable healthcare coverage to be successful.

TSBC is also conducting listening tours throughout the state to learn how small businesses are being affected by the healthcare crisis and the kinds of solutions they’re willing to support.

Utah
The Utah Business Group on Health (UBGH) aims to develop comprehensive solutions to the growing healthcare coverage crisis. The organization held a press conference on July 8 to release a survey of small business owners; the survey was conducted by Small Business Majority.

We hosted a conference call with UBGH on July 17 to bring small business owners and organizations in the state up to speed on what’s happening with national healthcare reform.

UBGH is working with the state’s business community as well as the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and other groups to create affordable healthcare solutions for small businesses. It also helps give small business owners a voice in the process through the Small Business Owners Speak Up Storybank, as well as in forums with local chambers of commerce.

Virginia
A survey of 200 small business owners in Virginia shows that of the 54% that don’t provide insurance for their employees, 92% say that they can’t afford it. The survey, which was released in a September 22 press conference, also found that 66% of Virginia small business owners believe healthcare reform is important for getting the economy back on track.

Wisconsin
We held a press conference on July 13 with our state partner in Wisconsin to release a survey of small business owners. The poll showed that two-thirds of the respondents support shared responsibility for financing health insurance for workers.


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