A survey of small businesses in Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District suggests they are not very prepared to offer their workers health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
A University of Wisconsin-La Crosse class surveyed 970 small businesses and found only 20 percent have browsed an Affordable Care Act website designed for businesses with fewer than 100 employees .
Congress established the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) as part of the Affordable Care Act — a place where small companies can buy health insurance for their employees.
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UW-La Crosse economics professor Mary Hamman’s class conducted the survey.
“I guess I was a bit surprised to hear many businesses first of all say ‘What is the SHOP?’” said Hamman. “I wasn’t surprised that so few had browsed, but I guess it was a little bit surprising to me to know that they weren’t even familiar with the business side of the health care exchange.”
Small businesses can begin using SHOP in 2016.
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