The White House initiative expands Health Reimbursement Arrangements.
Tom Kunkle, Warren Hudak, Brett Thompson, and Karen Wischmeier
Tom Kunkle, the owner of Full House Marketing in Harford County, joined three other NFIB members from around the country at the White House recently to attend the announcement of an initiative that would expand Health Reimbursement Arrangements, offering more small businesses additional options to contribute to their employees’ healthcare costs.
For decades, small businesses have struggled to cope with the ever-growing costs of employee healthcare. When the Affordable Care Act became law, the costs of mandated benefits made offering insurance nearly impossible for small employers. One alternative is HRAs, which allow a business owner to set aside funds for an employee to purchase their own health plan. But that option was all but closed to employers until changes were made under the Trump administration.
At a White House ceremony on Friday, June 14, President Trump announced an expansion of HRAs, which will allow more small businesses additional options. That new rule was issued by the U.S. Departments of Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services.
“The Trump Administration’s expansion of access to Health Reimbursement Arrangements is a significant victory for small businesses and a meaningful change NFIB has long fought to achieve,” said NFIB President and CEO Juanita D. Duggan. “We are encouraged by this new HRA rule, which, combined with the administration’s earlier initiatives, will allow more small business owners additional options as they seek affordable, flexible, and predictable health care coverage for their employees.”
Tom Kunkle was joined by NFIB members from Virginia, Indiana, and Pennsylvania.