Association Health Plans Bill Is Facing a Vote on
the House Floor This Week!

06/17/2003

• The U.S. House Education & the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 660 on 6/12 that creates Association Health Plans, which allow small businesses to band together through associations and purchase quality health care for workers and their families at a lower cost.
  • Opening Statement of Chairman Boehner
  • The Roll Call
  • H.R. 660, Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003, as ordered reported by the Committee on Education and the Workforce (pdf) Click here to download acrobat reader
• This week, the bill will be voted in the House Floor. So, please contact your U.S. Representative and House Leadership to urge them to support passage of H.R. 660.

On June 12, the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce moved one step closer to significantly expanding access to health coverage for families across the country by approving bipartisan Association Health Plans legislation. The Small Business Health Fairness Act (H.R. 660) creates AHPs, which allow small businesses to band together through associations and purchase quality health care for workers and their families at a lower cost. The bill, which has received significant bipartisan support in the House and boasts more than 150 cosponsors, was approved by a vote of 26-21.

H.R. 660, so-called Association Health Plans (AHPs) bill, aims to provide small businesses, including associations, with a better opportunity to purchase health insurance to their employees through association health plans (AHPs). The bill would permit small businesses to band together across state lines and purchase policies through their association. It specifically exempts such policies from state regulation; instead, they would operate under less onerous rules of the federal Labor Department. Because most states have a multitude of rules regarding coverage minimums, premiums and reimbursements, AHPs insurance would be less expensive than the coverage currently available to small businesses. A Congressional Budget Office study concluded that AHPs bill could reduce the cost of health insurance to small businesses from between 9 and 25 percent and result in 330,000 people without health care coverage becoming insured.

The National Grange's position on this bill is spoken by the following policies we have:

• The National Grange supports access to affordable health care and health insurance for every American regardless of age, race, income, health condition, or location with freedom of choice of medical provider and facility. In addition, health care cost containment strategies should maintain the highest quality of care without compromising effectiveness and efficiency.
• The National Grange supports tax incentives for businesses to provide health insurance coverage for their employees and 100% tax deductibility of health insurance premiums for the self-employed and individuals acquiring private health insurance.
• The National Grange supports allowing small businesses, insurers, and health care providers to join forces and create purchasing tools to develop and administer health plans for workers.

For Your Reference:

HR 660 - Bill Summary
Companion bill, S.545
National Grange Action Alert 31

Action Plan --- This week, the bill will be voted in the House Floor. Please contact your U.S. Representative and House Leadership to urge them to pass H.R. 660.

House Representative | House Leadership

If you have any questions or comments please contact Legislative Research Analyst Chil-Sook Hwang by fax: 202-347-1091 or by phone: 1-888-4GRANGE, ext 109. Thank you for your grassroots participation in the National Grange Legislative program.

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