Press Statement On
OPPOSING ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLAN LEGISLATION
By John E. Lewy, MD, chair, Committee on Federal Government Affairs,
American Academy of Pediatrics

"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) opposes The Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005 (H.R.525/S.406), legislation in Congress that would exempt association health plans (AHPs) from existing state regulations and protections. Currently, state protections promote children's preventive care by ensuring that children receive well-child care, immunizations and other needed services critical to their health, with little or no cost sharing. These state requirements help ensure that childhood diseases are caught early or are prevented altogether before they develop into more expensive health problems.

"The Academy remains committed to providing affordable, high-quality health care coverage for America's small business employees and their families. Indeed, 60% of uninsured children not eligible for public health coverage have parents who work in small businesses. However, this legislation would not improve the access and affordability problems facing small businesses, but instead inadvertently worsen the current problem by increasing premiums, dropping coverage for the sickest people, and taking away consumer protections.

"Rising health care costs and the increasing numbers of uninsured Americans is a major, national problem that cannot be ignored. But Congress must look to other legislative solutions in order to provide hard-working families with the health care benefits and consumer protections they deserve. This bill will only hurt the very families it is trying to help."

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.