Association Health Plans Act

Key Points

• This bill would allow small businesses and self-employed people to join together to buy health insurance as one large group. By forming these associations, small shops and freelancers could get the same types of insurance deals and rules that big corporations currently enjoy.
• To qualify, a group must have at least 51 total workers across all the member businesses and have been in existence for at least two years. This is designed to help local shop owners, independent contractors, and consultants who often find it difficult to afford insurance on their own.
• The policy includes protections for people with health issues. These groups would be strictly banned from turning someone away or charging an individual more money just because they have a pre-existing condition or a history of illness.
• While individuals are protected, the group can look at the general health risk of a specific member business to help set that company's share of the cost. This is intended to keep the plan's pricing stable and fair for all the businesses involved in the group.
• These health plans must be run by a board where at least 75% of the members are the business owners themselves. This ensures that the people actually using the insurance are the ones making the decisions, rather than insurance companies or outside corporations.