WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Republicans and Democrats
alike today joined together as the U.S. House of Representatives passed
the Small Business Health Fairness Act (H.R. 4281), a measure that will
significantly expand access to health coverage for uninsured families
across the country. The bill creates Association Health Plans (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 House passed the bill by a vote of 252-162, with the support of 37
Democrats. President Bush supports the legislation, as do 93 percent of
Americans according to the most recent poll conducted in March for
Federation of American Hospitals.
"This important bill provides real results that help uninsured working
families get the health care benefits they deserve," said Education &
the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-OH). "Now it's time for
the Senate to follow the House's lead and pass this common-sense measure
so more Americans can get access to quality health insurance."
More than 43 million Americans lack health insurance today and studies
indicate more than 60 percent of these uninsured Americans either work
for a small business or are dependent upon someone who does. Last
Friday, the Labor Department reported that 1.1 million new jobs had been
created over the last eight months, including 625,000 in the last two
months alone. Millions of working families, however, are still left
without health insurance because small businesses can't afford the
skyrocketing costs of health care premiums.
"The crux of the problem is this: More Americans are finding new jobs
but many small businesses can't afford to provide health insurance to
their workers because of rising premium costs," said Boehner. "The best
patient protection for uninsured working families is access to
affordable health care benefits, and this bill responds to the needs of
uninsured Americans."
"For many small-business owners, affordable health insurance through
Association Health Plans is a matter of fairness. Fortune 500 companies
have excellent access to affordable quality health insurance. Labor
unions have excellent access to affordable quality health insurance.
Small businesses should have that same access. It's good for America,"
said Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), chairman of the Employer-Employee
Relations Subcommittee and lead sponsor of the bill.
The Small Business Health Fairness Act (H.R. 4281) was introduced by
Johnson, Boehner, Rep. Max Burns (R-GA), Rep. Cal Dooley (D-CA), and
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY). The House passed virtually identical
legislation last year with the support of 36 Democrats by a vote of
262-162. Companion legislation (S. 545) sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snow
(R-ME), Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO), and Sen. Jim Talent (R-MO), among others,
is pending in the Senate.
The bipartisan bill approved today would increase small businesses'
bargaining power with health care providers, give them freedom from
costly state-mandated benefit packages, and lower their overhead costs
by as much as 30 percent - benefits that large corporations and unions
already enjoy because of their larger economies of scale.
Boehner cited the worker protections in the bill, stating that it would
"safeguard consumer interests with its strict eligibility requirements
and strong solvency standards that go far beyond what is required of
large corporations and labor unions under current law." He also noted
that "If you don't have health coverage, state mandates requiring health
plans to offer specific benefits do you and your family no good at all."
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