The Enterprise Center and the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development have been working to speak out in opposition of the high costs of health care for small businesses. One of the biggest problems is that in Massachusetts, small businesses are prohibited by law to negotiate as a group for the purchase of health insurance. That’s why small businesses on average start out paying 18% more than large companies, and as you know, premium increases have been in the double digits.
Legislation sponsored by Rep. Steve Walsh (D-Lynn) has passed the Massachusetts House to allow small businesses to negotiate as a group for the purchase of health insurance. The Senate had earlier passed a bill to allow for four pilot projects of 15,000 companies each to be created to test group negotiating. Yesterday the members of the Health Care Cost Containment Bill Conference Committee were named to reconcile the two bills and make a final recommendation for passage.
If you have an interest in reversing the law that prohibits small businesses from aggregating into larger health insurance purchasing groups, contact the conferees identified below and please tell them that you support House Amendment No. 41, Small Business Health Plans, or more simply put, the Walsh Amendment.
Additional information:
THE BILL REFERENCE NUMBERS: Promoting cost containment, transparency and efficiency in the provision of quality health insurance for individuals and small businesses (H 4924 and S 2447)
THE HOUSE CONFEREES: Reps. Ronald Mariano, Steven Walsh, and Jay Barrows
THE SENATE CONFEREES: Sens. Mark Montigny, Harriette Chandler, and Michael Knapik
Below is a link that will provide the email addresses for the members listed above.
Remember, the session ends on July 31, so there is not much time left.
URL for House Members: http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenuh.htm
URL for Senate Members: http://www.mass.gov/legis/memmenus.htm
