Marcie Strouse, a small business owner in Iowa and a member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), delivered a testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Education & Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions. The hearing was titled “A Healthy Workforce: Expanding Access and Affordability in Employer-Sponsored Health Care.”
Strouse shared her insights on helping small businesses offer competitive and affordable health insurance. She explained her experience working with small employers across Iowa, stating, “For over 20 years, I’ve worked directly with small employers across Iowa. I sit across from family-run businesses, hearing their fears and frustrations. They want to take care of their people, they want to be competitive, but they’re drowning in rising costs and limited choices.”
Highlighting the increasing costs, she added, “In Polk County, where I live, family premiums for small group plans have gone up 85% in just eight years. For my own family of five, we pay $1,100 a month for a pre-ACA plan. A comparable ACA plan today would cost my family more than $2,100 a month, almost double. That’s simply not sustainable and I can tell you I’m not the exception.”
Strouse called on Congress to provide more options and flexibility to support small businesses. “Small business owners are resilient and innovative. They just need the tools to succeed. Congress should empower small businesses with more choices, greater flexibility, and better tools to support healthier teams and stronger communities,” she urged.
Since its founding in 1943, NFIB has represented small and independent businesses throughout the United States, advocating on their behalf in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. NFIB emphasizes its commitment to small businesses, being nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven.
