CRAMER APPLAUDS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ACTION ON HEALTH CARE EXECUTIVE ORDER

Recording: Audio

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Kevin Cramer released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to expand the opportunity to offer employment-based health insurance to small businesses through Small Business Health Plans, also known as Association Health Plans.

“Sadly, the continued unwillingness of the Senate to pass meaningful health care reform legislation forces President Trump to use Executive Orders. It is well past time for every Senator to put aside partisan politics and help pass legislation to fix our crumbling health care system.”

In the House, Cramer voted to repeal and replace Obamacare. He also voted on several other major health reform bills including the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017, which allows small businesses to join together in association health plans across state lines.

The proposed rule, which applies only to employer-sponsored health insurance, would allow employers to join together as a single group to purchase insurance in the large group market. These improvements stand to open health insurance coverage for millions of Americans and their families by making it more affordable for thousands of small businesses and sole proprietors.

As proposed, the rule would:

• Allow employers to form a Small Business Health Plan on the basis of geography or industry. A plan could serve employers in a state, city, county, or a multi-state metro area, or it could serve all the businesses in a particular industry nationwide;
• Allow sole proprietors to join Small Business Health Plans, clearing a path to access health insurance for the millions of uninsured Americans who are sole proprietors or the family of sole proprietors.

The proposed rule includes important protections for Americans. Small Business Health Plans (Association Health Plans) cannot charge individuals higher premiums based on health factors or refuse to admit employees to a plan because of health factors. The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration will closely monitor these plans to protect consumers.

The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on January 5, 2018, and be available for public comment for 60 days. The rule, along with the procedures for submitting comments, can be found at the Federal Register website.

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