You’ve told us, again and again, that the rising cost of health coverage is the single greatest threat to your business, and the data backs you up. Through our member surveys, we have heard that roughly 80% of small business owners report double-digit premium increases, and many small groups have seen costs jump 25–30% year over year. More than three-quarters say it’s limiting their ability to hire, and about half have been forced to reduce or eliminate benefits in response.

To respond to these pressures, SBAM has made it a priority to advocate for policy solutions that both stem upstream cost drivers like hospital and pharmacy costs and allow small business owners more flexibility in how they offer benefits to their employees. Thanks to the advocacy of our members, a real solution is moving right now in Michigan’s State Senate, and we need your voice to keep the momentum going.

What SB 1011 does:

Large employers can pool their entire workforce into a single insurance risk pool, allowing them to design their own benefits and negotiate real savings. Most small businesses are nowhere near big enough to do that, so they’re forced to buy coverage “off the rack” at the highest and most unpredictable prices.

SB 1011 changes that, allowing Michigan small businesses and sole proprietors to:

• Band together across industries through a trusted statewide association to form their own pooled, state-regulated coverage.
• Gain the purchasing power and stability that large employers already enjoy.
• Keep every protection in place, including all essential health benefits outlined in the Affordable Care Act, fair rating rules, and oversight of solvency and consumer protections from Michigan’s insurance regulators.

Why now?

Last week, SB 1011 passed the Senate Health Policy Committee with bipartisan support. A vote on the Senate floor could come as early as this week. Your senator is deciding right now whether or not to vote yes.

Here’s how you can help in less than two minutes:

We’ve written a letter you can send to your senator by simply filling in your name and address, and by clicking a single button to submit. Send it as-is if you’re short on time, but if you can spare two more minutes, please tell your own story. The most persuasive story a legislator can hear is a real business owner from their district saying, “Here’s what these costs have meant for me, my employees, and my family.” A sentence or two about a premium increase, a hire you couldn’t make, or a benefit you had to cut will carry more weight than anything we could write for you.

Make your voice heard and please forward this to other Michigan business owners feeling the same squeeze.

Thank you for all you do.