Healthcare legislation moves forward

Motor,  Jun 2003  by Nash, Tom

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The Association Healthcare Plan (AHP) legislation, better known as the Small Business Health Fairness Act, which will allow small business associations to form healthcare groups, has gained additional cosponsors in the U.S. House and Senate. The House bill, H.R. 660, has 119 cosponsors, while the Senate bill, S. 545, has eight.

The U.S. House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations passed H.R. 660 by a vote of 13 to eight. The full House committee on Education and die Workforce was expected to hold a hearing in May, although none had been scheduled at this writing.

Association Healthcare Plans will help employers provide employees with adequate, affordable Healthcare. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 41 million Americans in working families are uninsured, and a large portion of those uninsured work in small businesses.

Rep. Sam Johnson (RTX), chairman of the Employer-Employee Subcommittee of the Education and the Workforce Committee and a sponsor of the bill, said, "Health insurance costs are still rising and many small employers are forced to drop health coverage or some cannot afford it in the first place. The cost-saving benefits of AHPs would help the small employers of Main Street access coverage at a more affordable price."

Bob Redding, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) Washington, D.C. representative, said, "The ASA supports the AHP legislation, but work remains to be done. Both the Senate and House have been urged by insurance providers not to support this bill. We are at a critical juncture for members of Congress to hear from their constituents in support of Association Healthcare Plans. ASA urges the repair industry to contact their representatives in Congress asking for their support on this legislation."

Copyright Hearst Business Publishing Jun 2003
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