(photo) Senator Hwang and Bipartisan Coalition Advocate for Association Health Plan Legislation

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Joe Canino

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Senator Tony Hwang joined a bipartisan group of legislators, nonprofits, and business leaders to advocate for the passage of association health plan legislation, allowing employers of 50 employees or less to pool their resources together and offer affordable healthcare options.

“We have seen staggering, double-digit increases in premiums over the past decade. Small businesses are finding these costs unaffordable. This bill would allow small businesses to acquire affordable healthcare on a group basis.” Said Senator Hwang.

Senator Hwang keyed in on the importance of passing HB 5247, a bill that allows small businesses to group under the umbrella of a trade association and form an employee health benefit consortium. These small businesses could pool their resources and get better deals on health coverage for their employees, reducing healthcare costs for thousands of low to middle-income working families in Connecticut. These plans would be subject to the same state and federal rules, regulations, and coverage mandates as existing plans. Senator Hwang outlined some of the misunderstandings promoted by opponents of this legislation.

“If you are in a high-risk pool, or have a pre-existing condition, you will not be discriminated against. You will be guaranteed coverage. The federal government and the Connecticut Insurance Department will ensure that these plans are regulated exactly the same as currently available plans.” Said Senator Hwang.

Senator Hwang emphasized that these vital healthcare savings would come at ZERO cost to the state’s taxpayers. This common-sense proposal would cause tremendous benefits for the hard-working residents of Connecticut, reducing healthcare costs for individuals and small businesses with no impact on the state’s bottom line.

“The small group insurance market in this state is broken. Only a few carriers remain active, and competition is dwindling. Rates have increased sharply in recent years, and small businesses are in dire need of an affordable alternative. Allowing small businesses to group together under the umbrella of a trade association allows them to pool resources and risks and save money on healthcare.” Said Senator Hwang.

Organizations in attendance supporting this legislation included: