Small Business Engagement in the SHOP: The Environment for Developing the Illinois Health Insurance Exchange for Small Business

This report is on Small Business in Illinois and its potential engagement in the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), the Health Insurance Exchange being developed by the State of Illinois to promote and facilitate the provision of health coverage by small businesses. The SHOP will be established in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The study was commissioned by the Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) and funded through a grant provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The study is based on a substantive telephone survey of the owners of small businesses in Illinois, supplemented by a small set of focus groups. The survey of small businesses was conducted by the Survey Research Laboratory (SRL) at UIC.