Email from Jonathan Swanson: Helping our pros get covered

President and co-founder of Thumbtack Jonathan Swanson sent the below message to a White House email list during the Millennial Outreach and Engagement Summit. Didn't get the message? Make sure to sign up for the latest updates.

Like most business owners, I spend a lot of time looking at numbers. Are revenues up? Are costs down? The business owners we serve have many different professions -- roofer, caterer, personal trainer, to name just a few -- but we all share one thing in common: we are all our own accountants.

Health care is one of the most expensive aspects of running a new business. So when we started to survey the professionals we serve, particularly the young professionals, who are starting a new business, I was not surprised to learn that one in three say that health care is on their minds.

That's why I'm excited to join a conversation about health care at the White House today on how we can help get more young professionals get covered. 

You can watch this event live here:

Availability of benefits like health insurance is a major obstacle to individuals looking to start their businesses. Many of these small business owners continue to struggle to find and keep coverage and are still uninsured in greater numbers than other Americans.

By helping de-couple benefits from traditional employment arrangements, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made a huge difference to many of our professionals, including young entrepreneurs, who are now able to stay on their parents' health insurance plan until the age of 26 or to buy affordable coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace or HealthCare.gov. As Joe, a photographer from Maryland, told us, "Before Obamacare, I never would have been able to start my business."

We understand that the ACA has stirred passions from all quarters, but there is no question that making benefits like health care available to more individuals makes it easier for people to start and run their own small businesses. As Nicole, a wellness professional from California, told us:

"I have several pre-existing medical conditions and had been without health insurance for quite some time. When the new system came out, I was finally able to get coverage. Knowing that I will always be able to see a doctor has lifted a giant weight off my shoulders."

At Thumbtack, we are honored to be part of helping entrepreneurs like Nicole step out on their own -- and it benefits our economy as a whole. And it's why we'll keep sharing information about health care and the upcoming Open Enrollment period starting on November 1 with them.

You can watch today's conversation here.

Thanks,
Jonathan Swanson
President and Cofounder, Thumbtack.com

Learn more about the White House's first-ever Affordable Care Act Millennial Outreach and Enrollment Summit.

Need health insurance? Find out if you qualify today.

Get Covered