05/02/2008
Little Rock "Fix-it Forum" part of the national Solutions Start Here campaign
Contact: Stephanie Cathcart, 202-314-2056
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--NFIB held its third "Fix-It Forum" Thursday in Little Rock, Ark., as part of our national Solutions Start Here healthcare campaign. The goal of the forums is to engage small business owners and their employees in conversations about their healthcare concerns. NFIB will be taking these stories back to lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to ensure the voices of these Arkansans, and their fellow job creators throughout the United States, are heard.
Solutions Start Here, the largest and most aggressive campaign in NFIB's 65-year history, was officially launched March 12. This campaign serves as the small business platform for healthcare reform and educates policymakers about the unique healthcare needs of America's job creators.
"Small business is the backbone of the American economy and healthcare is their No. 1 issue, yet finding and providing affordable health insurance has become an overwhelming obstacle for many small business owners," said NFIB President and CEO Todd Stottlemyer. "The leaders of this country must understand small business is an established and committed group demanding that lawmakers engage them as they seek healthcare solutions. That’s why we are in Arkansas, to ensure the policymakers and legislators in Washington, D.C. listen to and understand the concerns of small business people here and across the country."
The strength of the small business sector in Arkansas made it an ideal location to host one of several NFIB Fix-It Forums planned throughout the country. Ninety-seven percent of all employer firms in Arkansas are small businesses and nearly half of all non-farm workers in Arkansas work for small businesses.
"They are the entrepreneurs, job creators and taxpayers in every sector of our economy. Healthy, growing small businesses are vital to our state and our nation’s economy," said Sylvester Smith, NFIB/Arkansas state director. "Healthcare reform cannot and should not come at the expense of any one group, especially small business."
Small businesses are disproportionately burdened by healthcare costs. Of the 47 million Americans without health insurance¹, more than 28 million are small business owners, employees and their dependents². Under current law they generally do not enjoy the same tax treatment, coverage or pooling options as large businesses and corporations; on average, they pay 18 percent more for the same healthcare benefits. On top of this, over the last eight years, insurance premiums have increased an alarming 129 percent.
The Fix-It Forums are just one aspect of the Solutions Start Here campaign, which will drive home NFIB's message at the federal, state and grassroots level with activities including:
- Communicating with presidential candidates to ensure they fully consider small business as a significant voting bloc with a vested interest in healthcare reform;
- Inviting NFIB members, presidential candidates and legislators to sign a petition that reinforces the need to drive down healthcare costs while maintaining quality and choice. The petition will be submitted to the 111th Congress and the incoming Administration;
- Moderating a series of healthcare reform forums that bring health policy leaders and economists together to discuss and debate the most crucial elements of healthcare reform; and
- Conducting two high-level research projects to better understand how small business responds to different policy suggestions so that we can determine what small business owners specifically want in various legislative proposals.
"In 1994, NFIB fought against a comprehensive healthcare reform package because it did not adequately consider the needs of the small business community. Today is 2008, and the healthcare situation has gotten much worse, especially for small business," said Stottlemyer. "Back then it was enough to 'just say no' to bad policy, but now we have an obligation to these hard-working people to push our nation’s leaders to find a solution that works for small business, because when healthcare is fixed for small business, it's fixed for America."
For more information about Solutions Start Here or NFIB, please contact Stephanie Cathcart at 202-314-2056.
Solutions Start Here is a campaign developed and led by NFIB and its members as the small business platform for healthcare reform. By working to engage and educate policymakers about the unique healthcare issues faced by small business, Solutions Start Here will drive and integrate the concerns and needs of America’s small business community into the national health reform debate. Because when healthcare is fixed for small business, it’s fixed for America. For more information visit www.FixedForAmerica.com.
NFIB is the nation's leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system.
NFIB's mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information about NFIB is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.
