Small business owners understandably are nervous about changes coming with health care reform. But then again, health care headaches are nothing new in their world.

The good news is that recent studies suggest the new Affordable Care Act is likely to help people who work for small businesses. And over the long run, employers should have better access to low-cost plans and perhaps reduced administrative costs.

Small businesses have long struggled with limited bargaining power in the insurance market. On average, they pay 18 percent more in premiums than larger companies. More than half of employees in companies with 10 or fewer workers are believed to lack adequate health insurance.

Starting in 2014, the health care act will provide for state-based exchanges in which small firms can participate. By joining forces in an exchange, employers should be able to negotiate for better rates and lower administrative costs.

Opponents of health care reform often issue dire warnings that the new law will cause businesses to drop coverage.

But researchers for the RAND Corp. predict that health coverage by small business will actually increase — from the 60 percent of workers covered today by businesses with 50 or fewer employees to 86 percent after reforms are fully in place.

Businesses of that size aren't required to purchase insurance for employees under the new law. The RAND team thinks they will, for two reasons.

The first is the improved range of choices expected under the exchanges.

The second is the controversial individual insurance mandate. Researchers believe workers will push for employer coverage, regarding it as preferable to either shopping for an individual policy or paying a penalty.

In the near term, the Affordable Care Act provides for a tax credit to help some small businesses purchase insurance for workers. A new analysis by the Commonwealth Foundation shows that up to 16.6 million workers are in jobs that could qualify for the tax credit over the next three years.

There appears to be confusion among employers as to whether they qualify for the credit and how to secure it. Federal agencies and business organizations must help cut through the red tape.

One aspect of the Affordable Care Act that isn't helpful to small businesses is a paperwork requirement that employers fill out tax forms on all vendors who provide $600 or more worth of services. The requirement was intended to raise money for health care reform by discouraging tax cheats. The low threshold is too onerous, however. Congress should raise it.

Despite all the political noise about a "government takeover of health care," credible research is suggesting that the vast majority of Americans will continue to purchase private insurance, and employer-based health care will emerge stronger than ever.