Senate bill lets small businesses pool together to buy group health insurance
In committeeS. 1847Latest action
Sponsor: Rand Paul · Senator · KY
AIDecoded by AI · checked against the recordRead the official text
Official title: Association Health Plans Act
119th Congress
Topics: Health care
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govIn plain words
The plain-language version comes first. The official text is always the reference.
S 1847 lets businesses and self-employed workers join association health plans across industries, with protections against pre-existing condition exclusions.
55-second read · 4 questions answered below
What does this do?
S 1847 would allow businesses and self-employed individuals to join trade or professional associations and purchase health insurance as a group, even across unrelated industries. Federal law currently limits how broadly these association health plans can operate. The bill formally recognizes qualifying employer groups as a single employer under federal benefits law, enabling pooled coverage negotiations.
Who does it affect?
The bill primarily affects small business owners, self-employed workers who work at least 10 hours a week in their own business, and trade or professional associations seeking to offer health coverage. Associations must have existed for at least two years, have at least 51 covered employees total, and must have been formed for purposes beyond purchasing health insurance.
Why does it matter?
Smaller employers could gain collective purchasing power that currently is more accessible to large corporations. Insurers would be permitted to set different premium rates for individual member businesses based on their workers' health risk profiles, as long as the overall method is actuarially sound, which may affect how costs are distributed across members.
AI-drafted summary. Check it against the official text before you act on it.
Read the official bill on Congress.govMake the call
Where does it stand?
- IntroducedMay 21, 2025
- Senate committeeYou are here · May 21, 2025
- Senate vote
- House
- The president's desk
Right now: a Senate committee is reviewing it. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the president.
Latest action: — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.