SBA unveils website on health-care reform

The U.S. Small Business Administration has introduced a web page and blog to educate small business owners regarding the Affordable Care Act.

 The web page will connect business owners with information pertaining to implementing of the health-care reform legislation. The Affordable Care Act includes measures for small businesses like ways to slow the growth of insurance premium costs, while also expanding access to health insurance.

The website — www.sba.gov/healthcare — breaks down the key provisions, based on the business size. It also provides links to other useful information for small companies, including glossary of key health-care reform terms, an interactive time line with dates  when certain reforms will be implemented and a state-by-state breakdown of health-care options.

More resources will be added as they become available. The blog, titled Health Care Business Pulse can be found at www.sba.gov/blog. It will also provide small business owners with continuous updates about the implementation of health-care reform.

The health-care reform legislation is slated to expand health-insurance coverage to 32 million uninsured through an expansion of state Medicaid programs. It will require most Americans to carry health-insurance coverage. It makes it possible for individuals with pre-existing conditions to obtain health insurance.

The law also requires states to create health-insurance exchanges, a one-stop shop of sorts that will provide access to affordable choices for private health insurance.