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NASE Applauds Senate Introduction of “Copper Plan” Health Insurance Legislation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :CONTACT: Brad Luna, LUNA+EISENLA media brad @lunaeisenlamedia.com | 202-812-8140 (mobile)
Bill Would Create a More Affordable Tier Level of Coverage
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, bipartisan legislation was introduced in the United States Senate to create a new tier of coverage, commonly referred to as a “Copper Plan,” under the Affordable Care Act and making health insurance more accessible and affordable for America’s small business community.
Increasing Access to Care Act was introduced yesterday by Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Mark Warner (D-VA) and would provide consumers with the ability to purchase a new, less expensive tier of health care coverage.
“The introduction of bipartisan legislation yesterday to create a new Copper-level of health insurance coverage is welcome news for micro-business owners and the self-employed,” said Katie Vlietstra , Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations for the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) , the nation's leading resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses.
“We applaud this bipartisan group of Senators who understand that greater flexibility in the health insurance marketplace creates access to more affordable care and greater participation. As many small business owners and entrepreneurs continue to face costly health care premiums impeding their ability to secure affordable coverage, the Copper-level plan would help bring relief and guarantee hundreds of thousands more Americans have access to care,” continued Vlietstra.
The National Association for the Self-Employed has been a long-time supporter of the so-called “Copper Plan.” In coalition with the Council for Affordable Healthcare Coverage (CAHC), NASE supported the original “Copper Plan” legislation introduced in 2014 by Senator Mark Begich (D-AK).
In 2014, CAHC commissioned a study on the impact of a new “Copper Plan” which found that:
Premiums would be 18 percent lower than the average Bronze-level plans;
350,000 more Americans would be allowed to keep their employer-sponsored health insurance;
Fewer people would access exchange subsidies, resulting in taxpayers spending $5.8 billion less, while employers and individuals would pay $5.5 billion less in penalties.
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The National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) is the nation's leading advocate and resource for the self-employed and micro-businesses, offering a broad range of benefits to help entrepreneurs succeed and to drive the continued growth of this vital segment of the American economy.
The NASE Next Biz Thing helps identify and connect our nation’s smallest businesses. Need small business help? Check out NASE’s Ask the Experts for advice or the NASE Minute for small business support.
The NASE is a 501(c) (6) nonprofit organization and provides big-business advantages to hundreds of thousands of micro-businesses across the United States. For more information, visit the association's website at NASE.org