Now that the American Health Care Act (AHCA)—also referred to as “Trumpcare”—has made its way to the Senate, it’s time for employers to weigh in!
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Fit Small Business recently conducted a survey, using Google’s small business panel of 1,000 small business owners. The survey ran from May 5 to May 8 and occurred after the Republican healthcare plan passed in the House of Representatives.
Here are the key takeaways from the survey findings:
- 54% of small business owners (SMBs) believe Trump should be fired.
- Only 13% of SMBs support Trump’s current healthcare plan, 53% oppose it, and the other 34% are neutral.
- Though the majority of SMBs oppose the Republican healthcare bill, 63% don’t think it will negatively affect their business.
- Seven in 10 SMBs (72%) believe expanding access to healthcare is the most important factor of healthcare reform—over decreasing federal debt or reducing taxes.
- An overwhelming majority (93%) of SMBs believe that insurance companies should be required to provide coverage to people with preexisting conditions.
- SMBs trust Bernie Sanders more than Trump or Ryan on healthcare, with 44% voting that Sanders would do a better job at healthcare reform.
- Though most SMBs oppose Trump, they are still optimistic about the economy, with only 7% responding that they are likely to cut staff in 2017.
Majority of SMBs Believe Trump Should Be Fired
Out of the 1,000 SMBs that were surveyed, over half (53.4%) believe that Trump should be voted out of office. A little less than a quarter (24.4%) think he needs a reprimanded, and only 22.2% of respondents said that he deserves a raise.
SMBs Don’t Support Trump’s Healthcare Bill—But Are Unsure How It Will Affect Their Business
Thirteen percent of respondents support the healthcare bill passed by the House, with only 3.6% of SMBs strongly supporting it. Conversely, a total of 53.1% of owners oppose the bill, of those, 43.3% strongly oppose it. However, the majority (60.4%) do not think the bill will have a negative effect on their small business.
Most SMBs Want to Expand Access to Healthcare
Most SMBs (72%) believe that expanding access to healthcare is the most important thing to take into consideration when evaluating a healthcare plan. Fifteen percent believe reducing taxes is most important, while only 12% think that decreasing federal debt should be the highest priority.
SMBs also believe that insurance companies should be required to provide coverage to people with preexisting conditions—with nine in 10 owners agreeing with this statement.
More SMBs Trust Sanders On Healthcare Than Trump and Ryan Combined
When asked who they trust most on healthcare, the majority voted democrat, with 44% responding Bernie Sanders and 25% responding Barack Obama. Donald Trump received 17% of the votes, with Paul Ryan coming in last with 14%.
SMBs Still Optimistic About the Future
Though it’s clear that many SMBs are feeling less than favorable about Trump and his policies, this does not seem to have had a big impact on their economic optimism. Only 7% responded that they are were likely to cut staff in 2017. Most (61%) plan on staying the same size, while 32% are likely to add employees.
With 93% of respondents looking to either grow their small business or stay the same size in 2017, it is clear that most do not feel that the economy is going to have a steep downturn in the near future.