What Has Obamacare Meant for Michigan Small Businesses?
Small business owner and ACA specialist says it’s meant more coverage but fewer jobs
All this week, Detroit Today is exploring the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Is it working? How do we measure that success?
First, host Stephen Henderson is asking what the law has meant for small businesses, especially here in Michigan.
Greg Brogan has a unique perspective on the issue. He’s a small business owner who, among other things, helps other small businesses find health insurance plans on the Obamacare exchange. He also helps them comply with new regulations under the ACA.
Brogan, managing partner of the Brogan, Reed, and Van Gorder & Associates insurance agency, says his company has about 700 corporate clients, about 500 of which are small businesses. He tells Henderson that they’ve seen some job losses and constraining of jobs since Obamacare took effect.
“If you do have a small business that is nearing that 50 employer mark or higher, I think that has cost jobs,” says Brogan. He says that’s partly due to uncertainty about whether they’ll be able to grow. He also says the law has not done enough to address the cost of health insurance.
But he says Obamacare has clearly increased the number of people who have health coverage.
“Certainly, someone with a preexisting condition is in a better position today to shop around for coverage than they were before the ACA,” he says.
Brogan says he’s optimistic the law can be improved after this year’s presidential election.
“I’m hopeful with a new Congress and a new president that we’ll see some effective change,” he says.
To hear the full conversation, click on the audio player above.
