What Obama's win means for businesses' approach to health care

Nov 8 2012

Stock futures fell late Tuesday and early Wednesday as voters re-elected President Barack Obama, even as some business and labor groups cheered his victory.

The Wall Street Journal: Stock Futures Move Lower As Obama Wins
Stock futures slid late Tuesday and early Wednesday as voters re-elected President Barack Obama, though some investors said they expected the passing of the election to clear the way for further gains in the market. ... "It removes an uncertainty and allows investors to allocate capital with a clearer picture of the environment in mind," said Lawrence Creatura, portfolio manager at Federated Investors. ... Mr. Creatura said that, despite the uncertainty, he made trading decisions based on the presidential race during the campaign. He trimmed his holdings of stocks exposed to Medicaid "some weeks back" as Mitt Romney appeared to be nearing Mr. Obama in the polls (Jarzemsky, 11/7).

NPR: Business, Labor Groups Laud Obama Victory
[I]t didn't take long for labor organizers and business leaders to start offering their thoughts on the re-election of President Obama. Because of White House policies, the U.S. economy is "beginning to pick up steam," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement. He cheered Obama's win and put congressional Republicans on notice that Democrats will focus on "ending the Bush tax cuts for the rich and opposing any cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits" (Geewax, 11/7).

The Washington Post: Five Things The Election Results Mean For Business And Entrepreneurs
Obamacare full-steam ahead: Romney won't have the chance to extend waivers to the states, nor will he be able to lead a charge to fully repeal the health care reform law. The president's victory quashes the legislation's biggest remaining threat, and though regulators must still determine exactly how to implement the changes, the law will take full effect as scheduled in the president's second term in office. Changes will include an employer mandate for businesses with 50 or more employees and a tax credit for business owners' contributions toward their employees' health costs (Harrison, 11/7).

The Associated Press: Small Business Outlook For Obama's 2nd Term 
Many [small business owners] opposed the health care overhaul and complain that they are being squeezed by excess regulations. So now that Obama has won four more years, what can small business owners can expect from Obama on taxes, health care, the economy and regulation? The Associated Press interviewed small business experts and advocates to find out. ... Obama's re-election means the health care overhaul will continue to be implemented, but small businesses still have to wait to find out how much it will eat into their profits. Key provisions of the law go into effect in 2014, including the requirement that businesses with 50 or more employees provide affordable health insurance for their workers (Rosenberg, 11/7).