mr. speaker , i rise in opposition to h.r. 525 , the small business health fairness act . 
the sponsors of this legislation have a laudable intent : to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses by allowing them to band together to increase their purchasing power and negotiate lower health insurance rates . 
with costs in the private health insurance growing 12.8 percent each year , no one would disagree that our small businesses are struggling to provide coverage for their employees . 
but this legislation is not the answer to the rising cost of health insurance in this country . 
mr. speaker , the regulation of health insurance has long rested with the states . 
for decades , state legislatures in each of our states have enacted state coverage mandates and consumer protections to ensure that residents of those states purchase a quality health insurance policy . 
while some policies cost more than others , thanks to state regulations , consumers can be assured that all policies offer a minimum level of coverage . 
in my home state of texas , health plans must provide access to emergency services , immunizations for children , direct access to ob/gyns , and coverage of diabetes supplies and education -- just to name a few guaranteed benefits . 
the state has also enacted important consumer protection laws that afford consumers external review and limit how much insurers can charge sicker groups of people . 
under h.r. 525 , however , the state would have no authority to ensure that federal association health plans provide these benefits and consumer protections . 
by taking away these vital patient protections , the policies purchased under ahps would be worth little more than the paper they are printed on . 
the amendment offered by our colleagues mr. kind and mr. andrews would correct many of the flaws in this legislation . 
specifically , the alternative would allow small businesses to purchase insurance through a small employees health benefit plan -- similar to the federal employees health plan . 
the kind/andrews amendment would ensure that the quality of health plans is protected ; that low income employees have assistance in purchasing policies ; and that the smallest of small businesses get the additional assistance they need . 
as a former small business employee charged with choosing my company 's health plan , i am all too aware of the need for the assistance outlined in the kind/andrews amendment . 
the employees choosing these health plans for small businesses most often are not human resources or insurance professionals . 
the coverage and benefit mandates enacted by state legislatures ensure that small businesses wo n't fall victim to sham policies and that their employees can depend on quality health insurance when an illness strikes . 
because h.r. 525 eviscerates these assurances by preempting the laws enacted by state legislatures , i urge my colleagues to oppose the underlying bill and support the kind/andrews alternative . 
