GOP plan includes Sam Johnson’s small business health insurance solution
Washington,
Nov 4 -
The newly unveiled Republican healthcare proposal includes a small business health insurance solution long advocated by U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas). For years, Congressman Johnson has championed legislation to increase the insured through the creation of small business health plans, sometimes called, Association Health Plans (AHPs).
“In all parts of our economy we know that buying in bulk reduces the price tag, and healthcare is no different. Government-forced healthcare is not the way to solve our healthcare problem. We can and have to do better. I am thrilled that Republican leaders included my common-sense proposal in their comprehensive healthcare reform bill that reduces costs and without expanding the government’s reach. Clearly, there are better ways to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for American families – and this plan is it,” said Johnson.
Small business health plans allow small businesses to band together to purchase quality health insurance for employees and their families at a lower cost. Johnson’s Small Business Health Fairness Act, H.R. 2706, would increase small businesses’ bargaining power with insurance providers, give them freedom from costly state-mandated benefit packages while keeping important consumer protections in place, and lower their overhead administrative costs by as much as 30 percent. These are benefits that many large corporations and many labor unions already enjoy because of their larger economies of scale.
Johnson takes issues with the Democrats’ latest plan for government-run health insurance. Their bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, costs nearly $1 trillion and represents three months of intense secret negotiations among House Democrats. The 2,000 page bill hurts seniors with sweeping cuts to Medicare, forces Americans to buy health insurance, taxes all Americans who do not purchase “government approved” health coverage, limits personal choices and individual decisions, and jeopardizes the health insurance Americans already have – and often times like.
“For many small-business owners, affordable health insurance through small business 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. Given that the small business community represents almost 60% of the uninsured population, small businesses should have that same access to affordable, quality health insurance. If it’s good enough for Wall Street, it’s good enough for Main Street,” said Johnson.
To read the Democrats’ 2,000 page bill submitted for consideration, go to http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_hr3962_dingell.pdf.
The text of the Republican alternative may be found here: http://rules-republicans.house.gov/Media/PDF/RepublicanAlternative3962_9.pdf
Johnson represents Collin and Dallas Counties.
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