On the Issues
Small Businesses and Health Care
I remain very concerned about the availability and affordability of quality health care coverage and about the ever-growing ranks of the uninsured. We clearly have a long way to go to extend health coverage to all Americans, and among many small business and service employees, we are actually losing ground.
I am a cosponsor of the Small Business Health Plans Act, H.R. 2132, which would provide guaranteed, quality coverage at affordable rates to small businesses and their workers. Under the bill, insurance companies would be eligible for federal reinsurance coverage for “health pooling arrangements” they offer to employers with 50 or fewer employees. The reinsurance coverage (up to 75 percent of costs) would apply to catastrophic cases that reach $100,000 for an individual in one year.
Sliding scale premium assistance – based on average employee compensation, number of employees, and profit margin – would be available to small employers who cover at least 50 percent of employee premiums. Coverage for all plans would be substantially similar to health benefits coverage by any of the four largest health benefit plans offered under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP) in a state. Coverage would also comply with state consumer protection laws and regulations for group health insurance coverage for the state in which coverage is offered.
I will continue to work in favor of real solutions to reduce the number of uninsured and to facilitate affordable health care options for small businesses and their employees.
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