Health Plan Bill a Shot in the Arm for Small Business
Legislation introduced in the House on Feb. 12 — the “Small Business Health Fairness Act” (H.R. 660) — would reduce health care costs by giving small businesses an alternative to purchasing coverage from a large insurance carrier.
The bill would enable small businesses to band together through associations to purchase quality health care at a lower cost by obtaining the same economies of scale, purchasing clout and administrative efficiencies that large employers have.
NAHB President Kent Conine predicted that the legislation could reduce employers’ health insurance costs by 15%-30% and open up badly needed competition in the health insurance markets.
“As the owner of my own firm, I know first-hand how skyrocketing health insurance costs can harm workers and small businesses alike by making it difficult to provide health insurance at an affordable price,” he said. “This bill provides the right remedy.”