Lessons from the Small Business Health Options Program: The SHOP Experience in California and Colorado

The Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) has gotten off to a slow start, plagued by lower-than-expected enrollment and a public perception problem. But the program, created by the Affordable Care Act to provide small firms with a choice of affordable health plan options, has achieved some successes as well. A new Commonwealth Fund report focusing on the SHOP marketplaces in California and Colorado illustrates the program’s mixed story thus far.