Letter of the Week: Obamacare benefits small businesses in Missouri

Obamacare benefit

Aetna announced that it will no longer participate in the Affordable Care Act’s health-insurance exchange in Missouri. Although this decision presents a challenge for the exchange market, it still offers unique advantages — especially for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Before the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare, many aspiring entrepreneurs were stuck in their jobs and unable to start businesses because they needed employer-sponsored health insurance. People now can leave their jobs and start their own businesses.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation estimated that an additional 1.5 million people would be self-employed in 2014 because of the Affordable Care Act.

The law presents benefits to small employers as well. Through the Small Business Health Options Program, they can access plans with competitive pricing, tax benefits for qualified businesses and new features such as employee choice, which allows employees to choose among coverage options.

The Affordable Care Act isn’t perfect. But the exchanges benefit small businesses. We should support their success.

Mary Overbey of Springfield, Mo.,works for Small Business Majority to build relationships with small-business owners and business groups across southwest Missouri and educate them about wellness and other small-business issues. She and her husband, Eric, own a landscaping and lawn services business.

This story was originally published September 11, 2016 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Letter of the Week: Obamacare benefits small businesses in Missouri."