H.R. 1101 – Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017

March 21, 2017
(House)

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

H.R. 1101 – Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017
(Rep. Johnson, R-TX, and 37 cosponsors)

The Administration supports H.R. 1101, the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017. The Administration is committed to providing American workers with new options for access to quality, affordable care. The bill would strengthen access to health coverage for workers in the Nation’s small businesses, many of which struggle to provide their employees with healthcare benefits due to dramatic increases in premiums and healthcare costs under the Affordable Care Act.

H.R. 1101 would enable small businesses to provide health benefits to their workers through trade and professional associations, potentially benefiting millions of American families. Forming Association Health Plans (AHPs) would help to closer align options for small businesses with those available to large businesses and labor unions, which are able to offer their employees and members common health benefits across State lines. Small businesses also would benefit from larger risk pools, increased negotiating power, and administrative efficiencies, decreasing costs for their workers. AHPs are an important step toward reducing costs and expanding opportunities for quality healthcare.

If H.R. 1101 were presented to the President in its current form, his advisors would recommend that he sign the bill into law.