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The ACA and Micro-business

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act or ACA) enacted comprehensive health insurance reforms designed to ensure Americans have access to quality, affordable health insurance.

The Affordable Care Act includes a variety of measures specifically for small businesses that help lower premium cost growth and increase access to quality, affordable health insurance. Depending on whether you are self-employed, an employer with fewer than 25 employees, an employer with fewer than 50 employees, or an employer with 50 or more employees, different provisions of the Affordable Care Act may apply to you. Learn what the law means for you and your business by attending one of these seminars presented by the Small Business Administration.

Affordable Care Act Implementation: What Small Businesses Need To Know
Conference Call with Business Forward
Tuesday, April 2 at 11:00 AM PT
Presenters: Meredith Olafson and Christopher Van Es

The Affordable Care Act & Women Small Business Owners
Webinar with US Women’s Chamber of Commerce
Wednesday, April 3 at 10:30 AM PT
Presenter: Meredith Olafson

Update on the New Health Care Law
Conference Call with Small Business Majority
Thursday, April 18 at 10:00 AM PT
Presenters: Meredith Olafson, Sol Ross and Rhett Buttle

Presenters

Meredith K. Olafson
Senior Policy Advisor
Office of the Administrator
U.S. Small Business Administration

In her role as Senior Policy Advisor to the Administrator, Ms. Olafson is responsible for overseeing the U.S. Small Business Administration’s education and outreach efforts around health care and the Affordable Care Act.

Previously, Ms. Olafson served as a Senior Policy Analyst in the Agency’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development, where she worked on special initiatives involving entrepreneurship.  Prior to that, Ms. Olafson served as an Attorney Advisor in the Agency’s Office of General Counsel with a focus on employment and labor law matters.

Before joining the Agency, Ms. Olafson was an associate at Hunton & Williams LLP and Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, where she represented a diverse range of businesses in employment litigation at the federal and state level and provided advice and counsel on a range of employment-related matters.  Ms. Olafson received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and her B.A. from Northwestern University.

Sol Ross
Director of Private Sector Outreach
Intergovernmental and External Affairs Office
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Sol Ross currently serves as the Director of Private Sector Outreach in the Intergovernmental and External Affairs Office in the Department of Health and Human Services. He serves as a liaison between the business community and the department on Affordable Care Act, strategic initiatives including the White House Business and Jobs & Competitiveness Councils, and as a direct point of contact for businesses.

Previously he spent two years in state and local government consulting, working with Fortune 500 clients on various dynamic campaigns. Prior to those endeavors, Mr. Ross was the Manager of Government Relations for BearingPoint, Inc. in McLean VA, where he oversaw State and Local Government Affairs for the Public Sector. Upon arrival, Sol helped to reduce to overall budget spent on state consultants, and served to create the Hurricane Katrina Taskforce, which contributed over $1M in pro bono assistance to the affected region.

While working at BearingPoint, Sol also helped establish the Government Affairs Committee for TechAmerica, and served as Vice Chair on the committee in its inaugural year. The committee identified key legislators and decision makers regarding government contracting and tech issues. Prior to BearingPoint, Sol served as the State-Federal Relations Director for the State of Illinois. He managed the Federal Appropriations process, and devised the outreach strategy for State Agency Directors and Secretaries to the Illinois Delegation and Federal Government. In addition, Mr. Ross helped create the Chairman’s Agenda for the Midwestern Governors Association in 2005, and served as the staff lead for the Democratic Governors Federal Liaison from 2004-2005.

Sol received his BA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Maryland.

Rhett Buttle
Vice President, External Affairs
Small Business Majority

Rhett Buttle directs Small Business Majority’s Washington, DC operations, acting as the primary liaison with the White House, Congress and national partners. He also directs the organization’s growing small business outreach efforts, which include fostering strong relationships with business and other organizations across the country and building an active network of small business owners. Before joining Small Business Majority, Rhett served in the Office of the President at George Washington University. Prior to that, he worked on President Obama’s 2008 campaign, and in the Office of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he was part of California’s healthcare reform team.