Health Care in The House

Health insurance is a sore spot for most small business owners. With contractors bracing their bottom lines against 20 and 30-percent annual hikes, many wonder how they can recoup the cost and still offer benefits to their workers.

Now small businesses might be able to enjoy big-business health insurance buying advantages.

The Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, aims to alleviate financial pressure from rising insurance costs by authorizing the formation and multi-state operation of federally certified association health plans (AHPs). The House passed the bill on June 20 and referred it to the Senate committee.

“Health care costs are a big and growing problem across the board, but particularly hard-hit are small and mid-size employers and their workers,” noted Bill Bergman, executive vice president, Outdoor Power Equipment Aftermarket Association, Washington, D.C. “After all is said and done, the AHP bill is about providing those employers the same opportunities for economies of scale, bargaining clout and administrative efficiency that the nation’s largest employers and labor unions now enjoy in the health insurance marketplace, and to allow greater competition to begin to level the playing field for those smaller employers.”

Bergman said he hopes the Senate hearing will be slated for early 2004, though he expects large insurance carriers will challenge the bill. Dealers and industry professionals should write their state senators and ask them to cosponsor the bill, he suggested. Cite bill number H.R. 660 in letters. For more information, log on to www.house.gov.

The author is a Contributing Editor to Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at khampshire@lawnandlandscape.com.