If passed, the measure could help 110,000 North Carolina residents.
A measure filed this month by Senate members may help small business owners in North Carolina access affordable health insurance that includes state and federal coverage requirements.
The bill’s co-sponsor, Sen. Dan Bishop, says consumer protections include a pre-existing condition coverage mandate.
If passed, the measure will help loosen restrictions on association health plans. According to The Virginian-Pilot, “these plans would be expanded so companies, sole proprietorships and the self-employed could band together for health insurance with leverage similar to larger companies … [and] also would allow businesses of different industries and across state borders to be in the same plan.”
NFIB had advocated in favor of association health plans to help create a greater market power and be subject to fewer regulation.
“The cost of healthcare has been the number-one problem for small businesses for more than 30 years,” said NFIB’s Juanita D. Duggan following President Donald Trump’s 2017 executive decision ending Affordable Care Act subsidies. “NFIB has fought to remove penalties on small businesses for helping their workers buy health insurance, and the President’s action advances that effort.”
NFIB’s North Carolina State Director Gregg Thompson testified in the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee on Senate Bill 86. Thompson thanked the Senators for introducing a bill which has the potential of helping thousands of small independent business owners with their top issue. “I look forward to working with the bill sponsors and leadership to make this the best bill possible for the small businesses seeking to provide affordable health insurance for their employees,” says Thompson.
