WASHINGTON (May 9, 2006) — The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) is asking its members via an e-mail message to contact their senators to urge them to vote for the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act, which is expected to reach the Senate floor this week.
The legislation, which is coming to a full Senate vote for the first time, would allow small businesses through their professional associations to create Small Business Health Plans, which means they could negotiate across state lines to obtain low-cost health insurance premiums for their members.
Supporters such as the AAIA, the Automotive Service Association and the Tire Industry Association claim this is the surest way for their members to obtain health insurance without bankrupting themselves, whereas opponents insist the bill would cancel basic state regulations governing the coverage offered by health insurance policies.
A House version of the Small Business Health Plan bill, substantially different from the Senate legislation, passed last year, the eighth such bill approved by the House.