Small businesses can go through industry associations and chambers of commerce to get health-benefits packages. By representing large numbers of people, associations should be able to negotiate better rates than individuals can. Small companies that buy insurance through associations are not considered small employers for the purposes of the new law. But employers with 26 to 50 employees and a health-care plan have to include the mandated benefits. Employers who buy the state's Basic Health Plan are exempt.
People can then choose more, less or no coverage.
We just want people to have health care. We don't care whether they use our plan. Probably the best thing that could happen would for us not to reach our target number because employers had provided health care using another plan. Guaranteed issuance means that insurance companies have to sell health insurance to people who can pay their premiums. Portability means that if a person loses a job that included health coverage, that person will be able to get coverage elsewhere, and time spent under previous similar coverage will qualify toward the waiting period.