Senator Carper Spotlights Affordable Care Act Webinars for Delaware Small Businesses

WASHINGTON – From now through October, the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Small Business Majority will host weekly Thursday webinars to help small business
owners in Delaware and across the country to better understand health insurance changes taking place with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Senator Carper encourages Delaware small business owners to sign up for these sessions, so they can gain additional access to helpful information on small business tax credits, marketplace updates, cost containment, and more. An interactive question-and-answer period will also take place at the end of each webinar session.

“The Affordable Care Act has already begun to improve, modernize, and reduce the cost health care in Delaware and across the country,” said Senator Carper. “From free preventive care to lower premiums, the Affordable Care Act is working. But in order to implement the law fully and effectively, small business owners need access to resources that will help them plan and prepare for their companies’ future health insurance needs. These webinars, as well as the Small Business Administration’s other tools for small businesses, will be comprehensive, interactive guides to key provisions of the new law facing Delaware’s small businesses. By participating, I’m hopeful that Delawareans will more easily transition to a cheaper and more efficient health care system under the Affordable Care Act.”

Registration for each of the Thursday webinars can be found at the SBA website here. For small business owners unable to sit for a webinar, the SBA also provides detailed PowerPoint presentations on many of the topics discussed in the webinar series. Those documents can also be found at the SBA website.

The Small Business Health Options Program, also known as small business
marketplaces, will allow small businesses to pool their employees to give them the same buying power as large companies and easily compare and shop for high quality, affordable health insurance for their employees. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act provides qualified small businesses with tax credits that represent up to 35 percent of the cost of providing insurance coverage to their employers. Beginning in 2014, this tax credit will go up to 50 percent for qualifying businesses. Through this credit, the Affordable Care Act is estimated to save small businesses $40 billion over the next 10 years. Employers can enroll in the Small Business Health Options Program beginning on October 1, 2013, with health coverage plans to take effect January 1, 2014.