Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-545
Sponsor: Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [R-ME]
Introduced: 2003-03-06 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative procedure
Bankruptcy
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Collective bargaining
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Delegation of powers
Department of Labor
Discrimination in insurance
Discrimination in medical care
Economics and Public Finance
Employee health benefits
Federal advisory bodies
Federal preemption
Federal-state relations
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Flexible benefit plans
Franchises (Retail trade)
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government trust funds
Health care fraud
Health insurance
Injunctions
Insurance
Insurance agents
Insurance premiums
Labor and Employment
Labor contracts
Labor unions
Law
Licenses
Medical economics
Medically uninsured
Professional associations
Small business
Standards
State laws
State taxation
Surety and fidelity
Tax rates
Taxation
Trade associations
Trusts and trustees
Valuation

Summary:
action_date: 2003-03-06
text: Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2003 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to revise provisions relating to access and choice for small business employers with respect to medical care for their employees.
Establishes rules governing association health plans (group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations), including requirements relating to certification, sponsors and boards of trustees, participation, coverage, plan documents, contribution rates, benefit options, applications for certification, notice for voluntary termination, corrective actions, and mandatory termination.
Requires association health plans which provide health benefits in addition to health insurance coverage to maintain certain reserves and comply with other solvency provisions. Directs the Secretary of Labor to apply for appointment, and carry out specified duties, as trustee of any such insolvent association health plans which provide health benefits in addition to health insurance coverage.
Allows a State to impose a contribution tax on any association health plan commencing operations in such State after the enactment of this Act.
Requires association health plans to include in their summary plan descriptions, in connection with each benefit option, a description of the form of any solvency or guarantee fund protection secured under ERISA or applicable State law.
Revises provisions relating to treatment of: (1) single employer arrangements; and (2) certain collectively bargained arrangements.
Provides for association health plans with respect to: (1) enforcement; (2) cooperation between Federal and State authorities; and (3) treatment of certain existing health benefit programs.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-03-06
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3256-3263)
action_date: 2003-03-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3255-3256)
action_date: 2003-03-06
text: Introduced in Senate