“This is an important step toward expanding affordable health care options for small businesses and lowering costs for their employees.”
WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation today issued the following statement from Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French after the Department of Labor finalized regulations that would help expand retailers’ access to affordable health insurance through association health plans.
“We’ve been advocating for association health plans for almost 20 years, and we’re pleased to see the department moving aggressively forward. This is an important step toward expanding affordable health care options for small businesses and lowering costs for their employees. We will carefully review the final rules and stand ready to work with the department to help make association health plans a reality for small retailers nationwide.”
NRF has long supported efforts to establish national-level AHPs, and also supports the Small Business Health Fairness Act – AHP legislation that passed the House in March 2017 but has yet to see action in the Senate.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association. Based in Washington, D.C., NRF represents discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.