The Issue:
Over 60 percent of America's uninsured are small business owners and their families or the employees of a small business. Currently labor unions, medium sized businesses and Fortune 500 companies like Ford, Chrysler and Wal-Mart have the ability to offer health benefits to their employees under one federal statue known as ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. This saves such companies from the burdensome task of having to comply with the different rules, regulations, and benefit mandates that exist in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Small business however, has no such opportunity. As such, the prospect of lower premiums that would come with larger numbers in group health plans is also unavailable to small businesses.
The Small Business Cooperative for Healthcare Options to Improve Coverage for Employees Act of 2008 (H.R. 6582), also called CHOICE, allows for businesses to pool their numbers within states. However the Senate version - the Small Business Health Options Program Act of 2008 (S. 2795), also called SHOP - would allow businesses to pool their numbers nationwide, as well as offer tax credits and incentives to business owners and sole proprietors.NGLCC and the Issue:
The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce continues to work with other business advocacy organizations and Congressional champions to pass affordable healthcare legislation in Congress, including Healthcare Pooling legislation. The NGLCC encourages LGBT small businesses to contact their Representatives and Senators to encourage passage of this important legislation.
Representatives and Senators should support legislation that would allow small businesses to band together across state lines to purchase affordable group health insurance.
Click here to see a letter from NGLCC leadership regarding the U.S. Senate SHOP Act of 2008
Press Release: NGLCC Encourages Congress to Pass Healthcare Pooling Legislation, August 12, 2008
The NGLCC has joined with AARP, the National Federation of Independent Business, Business Roundtable, Service Employees International Union and others in Divided We Fail Coalition.
The Divided We Fail healthcare reform platform includes:
"All Americans should have access to affordable healthcare, including prescription drugs,
and these costs should not burden future generations."
Click here to learn more about the Divided We Fail Coalition
