Commentary: Congress Must Act on Health Care

This week, the Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association joined other national trade associations in thanking U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas), chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chairman of the Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, for their leadership in introducing H.R. 1101, the Small Business Health Fairness Act.

This legislation allows small businesses an option to access affordable health insurance coverage through Association Health Plans (AHPs) and is a step toward a more competitive market.

The rising cost of health insurance remains a major problem for small business owners. In 2015, 25 percent fewer small businesses offered health insurance than when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) passed in 2010, a significant drop in small business coverage. As health insurance costs continue to increase, fewer employers and working families can afford coverage.

We believe AHPs could help lower the cost of health insurance by allowing small business owners the same opportunities that larger businesses have.

AHPs will allow small business owners to band together across state lines through their membership in a bona fide trade or professional association to purchase health coverage. Establishing health insurance benefits through associations will make coverage more affordable by spreading risk among a much larger group, strengthening negotiating power with plans and providers, and reducing administrative costs.

Lower health insurance costs and increased flexibility are needed to maintain a competitive workforce.

It is time for Congress to stand strong and without further delay put years of campaign promises into action and deliver legislation to the president that replaces the ACA with market-based solutions.