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WASHINGTON – House Committee on Small Business Chairman Steve Chabot (R-OH) released the following statement after the proposed rule on Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA) by the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury was published on October 29.
“Since 2013, the year before many of Obamacare’s regulations and mandates took effect, premiums have doubled for Obamacare’s individual health insurance plans. For this reason, this rule is vital for the health of America’s 30 million small businesses. It’s time we foster fairness and balance for large and small businesses alike, so that innovators are able have access to affordable, quality health care options for their families. I am pleased that the Administration is fighting for small business owners and working to eliminate the unnecessary red tape that Obamacare imposed.”
According to the Administration, for firms that employ 3-24 workers, the percentage of workers covered by employer health benefits, has fallen from 44 percent in 2010 to 30 percent in 2018. For firms that employ 25-49 workers, the percentage of workers covered by employer health benefits has fallen from 59 percent in 2010 to 44 percent in 2018. This rule would allow small employers to give their employees funds to pay for health care coverage selected by the employees. Preliminary estimates from the Treasury Department indicate that initially roughly 800,000 employers are expected to provide HRAs that would pay for coverage for more than ten million employees. Chairman Chabot has demonstrated his support of rules to provide more options for small business employers and employees, and also cosponsored H.R. 1101, the Small Business Health Fairness Act, which passed the House last year.
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