David Weldon: “an issue I often hear about from my constituents is concern about the high cost of health insurance and the need for…”

“an issue I often hear about from my constituents is concern about the high cost of health insurance and the need for affordable insurance coverage. We all know health insurance premiums continue to increase substantially each year. As such, many small businesses are unable to afford health insurance for their employees. Furthermore, for those who can afford insurance for their employees, rising costs make U.S. products more expensive, harming U.S. competitiveness and costing American jobs. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but the financial viability of many small businesses is being hurt by the escalating costs of health insurance. This hurts job creation and economic growth. The U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy found that administrative expenses for small health plans make up about 35 percent of total costs. This is not good for small business owners, their employees, or the American economy. Congress must address this problem, which is why I support H.R. 525, the Small Business Health Fairness Act. By passing H.R. 525 Congress will be leveling the playing field between small businesses, the self-employed, and large corporations. This allows organizations of individuals and businesses to enter into Association Health Plans, AHPs. Under AHPs, small business can pool their resources and purchase group health care similar to the way large corporations do today.…”