Cramer - House Passes H.R. 1624 -- Providing Affordable Coverage for Employees Act

Press Release

Congressman Kevin Cramer today announced the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1624, the Providing Affordable Coverage for Employees Act, by a voice vote. The bill would revise the definition of small employer for the purposes of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or Obamacare, and allow states to treat employers with 51 to 100 employees as large employers. This revision would eliminate the need for covered employers to meet the small employer health insurance standards required under Obamacare after 2016. In addition, the legislation authorizes $205 million for the Medicare Improvement Fund which was cut by the PPACA.

"Obamacare is a job killer and it's hurting small businesses across North Dakota and across our country," said Cramer. "Our bill simply revises the definition of small businesses and provides some regulatory relief for the business owners and for the employees and their families. Until we can repeal Obamacare with a Republican president I've got to do all I can to mitigate its disastrous effects on individuals, families, and small businesses."

Under Obamacare, Cramer said insurance plans in the individual and small-group markets are required to cover certain benefits known as Essential Health Benefits, regardless of patient or customer preference, and are not allowed to vary premiums based on health status and, only to a limited extent, based on age. If an employer fails to meet these fail to meet these requirements, they will be subject to a fine for each employee.

"By passing this bill, we relieve the families that are burdened by ridiculous requirements in Obamacare," said Cramer. "For example, Obamacare requires health insurance offered in the small group market to meet certain requirements that don't apply to a large group market, including the requirement to cover a core package of health care services such as maternity care. In other words, if you are a seventy-five-year old widow in Bismarck working at a small business, or maybe it's your family business or restaurant, you're required to buy maternity care under Obamacare. Or if you're an eighteen-year-old high school student working at McDonald's you have to have maternity care as part of your package. Now you can't make this stuff up so our bill changes the definition a little bit of small business. I'm greatly heartened to see that it passed not just with the Republicans, but unanimously in the House of Representatives."

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