Concord, N.H. — Today, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander joined over 100 of her colleagues in calling on Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to protect small businesses and stop the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits from expiring.
The lawmakers noted that small business owners, their employees, and self-employed Americans are disproportionately represented in the ACA marketplace. Although they make up only 16 percent of the workforce under the age of 65, they account for nearly half of marketplace enrollees. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 82 percent of small business owners and self-employed individuals rely on the enhanced premium tax credits to afford their ACA Marketplace coverage.
“If the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits are not immediately extended, families and small businesses will begin to feel the impact as soon as November 1st, when Open Enrollment begins and Marketplace plans reflect steep premium hikes in 2026,” the Members wrote. “Premiums are currently projected to increase by about 114% starting in 2026. For many families and small businesses, this is money they do not have.”
“By making insurance more expensive for small business owners and employees, Republicans are not only squeezing family budgets – they are stifling American innovation and undermining the economic growth that small businesses drive,” the lawmakers continued.
The full text of the letter is below:
Dear Speaker Johnson:
We write today to underscore the urgent risks that the pending expiration of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits poses for small businesses, self-employed entrepreneurs, and employees of small businesses. Without immediate action to extend these tax credits, millions of small business households across the country will feel the burden of soaring ACA premiums.
While much of the public discussion focuses on the broader individual ACA Marketplace, the reality is that this market is also powered by small business households. People tied to small businesses – owners, self-employed workers, and employees of firms with fewer than 25 workers – are disproportionately represented in the ACA Marketplace. Although they comprise only about 16 percent of the overall workforce under age 65, they account for nearly half of marketplace enrollees. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, 82 percent of small business owners and those who are self-employed rely on the enhanced premium tax credits to afford their ACA Marketplace coverage. ,
Treasury data also shows that 3.3 million small business owners and self-employed workers had Marketplace coverage in 20223, including nearly 300,000 entrepreneurs who would not have qualified for affordable Marketplace coverage without the enhanced premium tax credits. Recent projections for 2025 show that over 4.2 million small business owners and almost 2.7 million self-employed workers currently benefit from ACA coverage. These figures represent significant gains in ACA coverage over recent years and highlight the importance of the premium tax credits for small business owners and their employees.
If the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits are not immediately extended, families and small businesses will begin to feel the impact as soon as November 1st, when Open Enrollment begins and Marketplace plans reflect steep premium hikes in 2026. Premiums are currently projected to increase by about 114% starting in 2026. For many families and small businesses, this is money they do not have. As a result, projected job losses in non-health care jobs are projected to total over 180,000, with state GDPs declining by $40 billion.
For the nearly half of Marketplace enrollees tied to small businesses, the fallout will be immediate: they will either pay hundreds more per month, drop their coverage entirely, or be forced to make difficult life decisions about their healthcare. This is all while small businesses continue to contribute to our economy. Between 2013 and 2023, small businesses contributed 55 percent of total jobs created. Republicans claim to stand with small businesses, but their refusal to extend the premium tax credits will halt this progress in job growth and force small businesses to cut jobs or close their businesses altogether as they lose access to affordable healthcare. By making insurance more expensive for small business owners and employees, Republicans are not only squeezing family budgets – they are stifling American innovation and undermining the economic growth that small businesses drive.
We urge you to work with Democrats to end the shutdown by passing legislation that extends the ACA’s enhanced premium tax credits and continues to allow our small business community and self-employed Americans to benefit from affordable ACA Marketplace coverage.
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