FEDERALhearing transcript

Senate Roundtable on Small Business Health Plans

Original title: ROUNDTABLE ON SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH PLANS

January 1, 2020

health insurance small business association health plans department of labor ERISA

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The Frame

What this does

The discussion centers on a proposed Department of Labor rule that could change how small businesses offer health insurance to employees without requiring new Congressional legislation.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Small business owners

They may be eligible to participate in new types of association health plans if the proposed rule is finalized.

Health insurance beneficiaries

The proposed rule impacts the regulatory framework governing their health coverage and protections against discrimination.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

The Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security held a roundtable discussion on January 30, 2018, to examine a proposed Department of Labor rule regarding . The session focused on gathering expert testimony and stakeholder experiences to evaluate the potential impact of the proposed policy changes.

Key Facts

The roundtable was held on January 30, 2018, to discuss a proposed Department of Labor rule regarding Association Health Plans.
The proposed rule was officially introduced by the Department of Labor on January 5, 2018.
Chairman Enzi stated that the proposed rule change relies on existing statutory authority and does not require new Congressional action.
Key policy considerations identified include protections against discrimination in coverage and accountability to beneficiaries at the state level.
The subcommittee heard testimony from five witnesses, including representatives from chambers of commerce, actuarial firms, legal policy experts, and small business owners.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Association Health Plan?

It is a type of health insurance plan that allows small businesses to group together to purchase health coverage, often referred to as a small business health plan.

Does this meeting result in a new law?

No, this was a roundtable discussion to gather information on a rule already proposed by the Department of Labor under its existing authority.

Why It Matters

The discussion centers on a proposed Department of Labor rule that could change how small businesses offer health insurance to employees without requiring new Congressional legislation.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Regulatory vs. Legislative Action

The document highlights that significant changes to health insurance policy are being pursued through agency rulemaking rather than new Congressional legislation.

Department of Labor

Connected Entities

personBernard Sanders“Ranking Member of the Subcommittee”Map →

organizationDepartment of Labor“Proposed the Association Health Plan rule on January 5, 2018”Map →

personJennifer Kimmich“Witness and co-owner of The Alchemist Brewery”Map →

personMichael B. Enzi“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security”Map →

personBrad Johnson“Witness representing Casper Area Chamber of Commerce”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance65
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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