Hagel Joins Snowe to Cosponsor Legislation to Help Small Businesses Provide Health Insurance

Hagel Joins Snowe to Cosponsor Legislation to Help Small Businesses Provide Health Insurance

U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) cosponsored legislation (S.406) today introduced by U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Chairperson of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, that would increase access to health insurance by improving the ability of small businesses to purchase health insurance through Association Health Plans (AHPs). The legislation would create a uniform federal standard for governing AHPs which would reduce the cost of health insurance plans offered in the small group market and increase the number of workers in small businesses who have health insurance.

"This is not the perfect bill, but it is an important start. There are 46 million Americans without health insurance and almost half of the uninsured work for small employers. Small businesses are the heart of our economy and the federal government should do all it can to provide them with maximum flexibility in providing health care to its employees. This is common sense legislation that uses market forces to help small business owners provide quality, affordable health care to their employees," Hagel said.

The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Bond (R-MO); Byrd (D-WV); Dole (R-NC); Isakson (R-GA); McCain (R-AZ); Talent (R-MO); Vitter (R-LA); Brownback (R-KS); Coleman (R-MN); Hutchison (R-TX); Martinez (R-FL); Specter (R-PA); and Thune (R-SD). The legislation passed the House of Representatives in July and has the Bush Administration's support.

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