{
  "id": "RL33402",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL33402",
  "active": false,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 340451,
      "date": "2006-05-01",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T19:03:49.357029",
      "title": "Side-by-Side Description of Small Business Health Insurance Proposals",
      "summary": "The 109th Congress is considering a number of health insurance reforms intended to improve\naccess\nto health insurance for small businesses. Two of those proposals,  S. 2510 , the Small\nEmployers Health Benefits Program Act of 2006, and  S. 1955 , the Health Insurance\nMarketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2006, take different approaches to addressing\nperceived problems with the current market for health insurance.\n  S. 1955 , introduced by Senators Michael Enzi and Ben Nelson, was approved by\nthe Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee on March 15, 2006. The\npurpose of the bill is to expand health insurance access and reduce costs through the establishment\nof small business health plans, and the implementation of uniform health insurance standards across\nstate lines. The bill would establish Small Business Health Plans that would be offered by trade and\nprofessional associations and franchise networks. In addition, the bill takes on regulatory reform of\nhealth insurance products, market-wide. It would create federal standards for benefits, the pricing\nof health plans, and a number of other particular areas of health insurance law. In those areas, state\nlaws could be preempted.\n  S. 2510 , introduced by Senators Richard Durbin and Blanche Lincoln on April 5,\n2006, has a similar purpose in that it proposes to improve access to health insurance, although it has\nan entirely different approach. The bill would establish a national health insurance program to offer\nprivate health benefits to small business employees. The program would be based on the features\nof the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), and would be run alongside that\nprogram by the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM). In addition, S.  2510\nincludes provisions intended to improve the affordability of health insurance, including tax credits\nfor small employers who contribute a significant share of certain employees' premiums, and a\nre-insurance fund that would pay for certain very high claims.\n This report provides a side-by-side comparison of these two bills. This report will be updated\nin the event of major legislative activity.\n For a discussion of small group health insurance and current legislative proposals, see  CRS Report RL31963(pdf) ,  Association Sponsored Health Plans: Legislation in the 109th\nCongress , by Jean\nHearne.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Domestic Social Policy"
  ]
}