The U.S. House of Representatives, led by Cong. Sam Johnson (R-TX), has approved the Small Business Health Fairness Act (H.R. 525) by a 263-135 vote. 

H.R. 525 would allow companies to band together through associations, like AMT, to purchase quality employee health care at lower cost. The Association Health Plan (AHP) proposal has the strong backing of President Bush but is opposed by state insurance commissioners (who would lose regulatory “turf”) and certain insurers (who would lose their monopolies) if the proposal were enacted. 

AMT is an active member of the pro-AHP industry coalition backing  H.R. 525 (and its companion bill in the  Senate - S. 406).  In early March, the House Workforce Committee, led by Cong. Sam Johnson (R-TX), approved the measure.  In mid-April, the Senate committee with jurisdiction over the bill held a hearing in which that committee’s chairman (Sen. Enzi of Wyoming) expressed his desire to work toward resolution of the issue.

Passage of this Association Health Plans or “AHP” legislation is a top government relations priority for AMT.