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Rep. Jackson Lee Says New Study Concludes Affordable Care Act May Spur A New Generation of Entrepreneurs

June 6, 2013

Study Estimates That About 1.5 Million Americans Will Choose To Become

Today, Rep. Jackson Lee announced that a new nonpartisan study, which was prepared by independent health care experts, has concluded that the Affordable Care Act will spur entrepreneurship. The study estimates that about 1.5 million Americans will choose to become entrepreneurs and start their own businesses because of the health care law over the next few years.

“Up until now, many Americans considering leaving their job to strike out on their own decide not to because they worry they may be denied health insurance coverage because they have pre-existing health conditions, fear losing access to a trusted physician, or are unable to afford the premiums without their employer sharing the costs,” Rep. Jackson Lee stated.

This fear of many Americans to leave their jobs because of their health insurance concerns has come to be known as “job lock.”

“However, beginning in 2014, because of the Affordable Care Act, access to high-quality, subsidized health insurance coverage will no longer be exclusively tied to employment – which can free people to become their own boss and launch their own business,” Rep. Jackson Lee pointed out. “By ensuring that people can’t be discriminated against when they buy health insurance and helping those with modest incomes cover the cost of premiums, the health care law will create new options for millions of Americans.”

The growth of entrepreneurship stimulated by the health care law should lead to a more dynamic economy, with greater innovation and a stronger rate of economic growth.

The study, entitled “The Affordable Care Act: Improving Incentives for Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment,” was prepared by nonpartisan health care experts associated with the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It is based on empirical research demonstrating a significant increase in self-employment in states that have already initiated some health reforms.

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Congresswoman Jackson Lee is a Democrat from Texas’s 18th Congressional District. She is a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security and is Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security.