Small businesses struggle with Obamacare

By Robert King, Robert King

Published December 20, 2015

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A key selling point of Obamacare was that it would offer more choice and lower costs to small businesses. But businesses aren't buying, and now they only have a tiny window to avoid a major hurdle to getting coverage.

For one month, from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, a small business that buys a plan in the Obamacare-created Small Business Options Program marketplace doesn't have to meet participation requirements, which require that businesses with up to 50 employees ensure that at least 75 percent of their employees enroll.

"That has been difficult for very small employers to do," said Sarah Lueck, senior policy analyst for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities think tank.

The annual window comes at a time when small businesses haven't taken to the Small Business Health Options Program, or SHOP, created to offer more plans for small businesses.