The debate rages on: Did the U.S. Supreme Court make the right decision on June 28, 2012 when it upheld a majority of the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act? The ultimate goal of the Act is to ensure all Americans have equal access to affordable health insurance. Some people firmly believe the court made an excellent decision, while others just as firmly believe it was more of a political one. So the debate continues. However, one thing everyone seems to agree on is that the U.S. healthcare system is broken for millions of people and businesses, including small minority owned enterprises.

The federal government has a duty to protect the general welfare of all of its citizens. For too many people, access to health insurance is dependent on the size of the business they work for and where they live. Large corporations offering employees health insurance get the best insurance rates and usually can afford to pay a large percentage of the premiums. The small business enterprises (SBEs) are basically left out in the cold.

According to the U.S. 2007 Census, there are 5.8 million minority owned businesses employing 5 percent of the workforce. Most of these businesses are small. However, the federal government reports that small businesses pay approximately 18 percent more than a large business for a similar health insurance policy. Small business owners struggle to offer affordable healthcare plans to employees, or employees must pay such a large percentage of the cost that premiums become unaffordable. Since most minority and women owned businesses are small, the Supreme Court ruling is an enormous victory for them because it levels the playing field when it comes to providing employees health insurance.

The Act allows small businesses with up to 25 employees, paying average annual wages under $50,000, and covering 50 percent or more of the premium cost, a small business tax credit of up to 35 percent now and up to 50 percent starting in 2014. Also in 2014, qualifying small businesses with less than 100 employees and unable to negotiate affordable health insurance policies will be able to shop for insurance at an Affordable Insurance Exchange. This will improve competitiveness for small businesses by eliminating the disadvantage they currently face trying to lure top skilled talent to their smaller businesses because they are unable to offer quality health benefits.

In addition, the Affordable Care Act prohibits insurance companies from acts that have traditionally driven up the cost of health insurance for small businesses. The insurance companies are no longer allowed to charge higher premiums just because a business has fewer people enrolled, nor are they allowed to limit benefits or deny coverage beginning in 2014. In addition, the Act requires insurance plans to cover preventative health care services, and that means small businesses can expect to have a healthier workforce, which can increase productivity while lowering benefit costs. The net effect is that the Act increases the quality of health insurance for the employees of small businesses.

The Affordable Care Act has a number of benefits for minority small businesses, but it is a law for all Americans. Since the law finally brings health insurance costs under control, businesses can use the money that was spent on exorbitant health insurance premiums to expand their businesses, which will create jobs. Given the fact that the economy is having trouble maintaining even a tepid recovery from the recession, the Affordable Care Act must be welcomed as a job creator.

The many benefits the law brings to small businesses, often called the economic engine, will help minority businesses have a better chance of gaining equal footing with large businesses in certain areas like workforce health, healthcare costs, and employee recruitment and retention. In our opinion, there is simply nothing left to debate concerning the merits of the Affordable Care Act. It is time to stop looking back and to move forward. There is too much at stake to do otherwise.