Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (R) has introduced new legislation designed to expand healthcare coverage options for small businesses, self-employed workers, and underinsured Americans by reforming federal regulations governing employee benefits.
The proposed Healthcare Freedom and Fairness Act would modify the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), allowing broader participation in healthcare marketplace pools and enabling individuals and small employers to join large nationwide risk-sharing groups.
Supporters argue the changes would increase competition among insurers and help lower healthcare costs.
Rep. Van Duyne said the rising healthcare and insurance costs continue to place significant financial burdens on families and small businesses, while existing regulations limit access to more affordable coverage options.
"Due to the ongoing failure of Obamacare coupled with healthcare monopolies and artificial barriers for healthcare innovation, hard-working families and small businesses continue to pay the price for limited healthcare options with skyrocketing premiums," said Van Duyne.
According to Van Duyne, the legislation would allow new healthcare purchasing pools to negotiate directly with insurance companies, as large corporations, labor unions, and government entities do. The bill seeks to provide small businesses and independent workers wth greater collective bargaining power when purchasing health insurance.
Supporters of the proposal argue that reforming ERISA would create a more market-driven alternative to the current Affordable Care Act marketplace structure.
"This legislation is about delivering common-sense reforms to strip away unnecessary restrictive federal regulations and create the conditions for more Americans to have access to truly affordable, high-quality healthcare coverage," said Van Duyne.
The Key Provisions highlighted by Van Duyne include:
- Regulatory Uniformity: Allowing pooled plans to operate under a single federal framework.
- Expanded Bargaining power: Enabling larger purchasing groups that could negotiate lower premiums and broader provider networks.
- Customized Coverage Options: Giving associations and healthcare pools more flexibility to design plans tailored to the needs of their members rather than relying on standardized marketplace plans.
The legislation is intended to reduce costs, increase competition, and expand access to healthcare coverage by removing unnecessary federal barriers that currently limit innovation in the insurance market.
