On June 25, the House Education & the Workforce Committee approved two health insurance bills that supporters say will increase small business access to affordable health insurance coverage. Committee approval came on party-line votes.
H.R.2528, the Association Health Plans Act, would allow small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together, with primarily geography the only required nexus, to offer health insurance coverage that would not have to meet Affordable Care Act (ACA) minimum essential benefits requirements.
H.R.2571, the Self-Insurance Protection Act, would preempt state insurance regulations and laws and prevent federal regulation of stop-loss insurance plans. That means that stop-loss insurance will not be characterized as health insurance for purposes of ACA rules.
Prospects: Both these bills enjoy Republican support in both the House and Senate. However, Democrats are almost uniformly opposed. So, chances are low of getting these bills through the Senate, where 60 votes (and thus at least seven Democratic votes) would be required to pass them.
NAIFA Staff Contacts: Jayne Fitzgerald – Director – Government Relations, at jfitzgerald@naifa.org; or Mike Hedge – Senior Director – Government Relations, at mhedge@naifa.org.