mr. speaker , an issue i often hear about from my constituents is concern about the high cost of health insurance and the need for affordable insurance coverage .  we all know health insurance premiums continue to increase substantially each year .  as such , many small businesses are unable to afford health insurance for their employees .  furthermore , for those who can afford insurance for their employees , rising costs make u.s. products more expensive , harming u.s. competitiveness and costing american jobs .  small businesses are the backbone of our economy , but the financial viability of many small businesses is being hurt by the escalating costs of health insurance .  this hurts job creation and economic growth .  the u.s. small business administration 's office of advocacy found that administrative expenses for small health plans make up about 35 percent of total costs .  this is not good for small business owners , their employees , or the american economy .  congress must address this problem , which is why i support h.r. 525 , the small business health fairness act .  by passing h.r. 525 congress will be leveling the playing field between small businesses , the self-employed , and large corporations .  this allows organizations of individuals and businesses to enter into association health plans , ahps .  under ahps , small business can pool their resources and purchase group health care similar to the way large corporations do today .  they can get better bargaining power in terms of costs and benefits for their employees .  it gives workers , who do not have health insurance today , the opportunity to obtain health insurance coverage .  whether it is a small business a trade association , a farm bureau , or a local community organization that is seeking to purchase more affordable health insurance , this legislation will help them .  they can join together with other groups and purchase health insurance at much more affordable rates and have better negotiating power with insurance providers .  it is generally reported that there are over 40 million people in america without health insurance at any given time .  according to the congressional budget office , a more accurate estimate of the number of people who were uninsured for all of an entire year is 21 million to 31 million .  regardless , almost 60 percent of those individuals are employed by a small business .  as health care costs increase , fewer employers and working families will be able to afford coverage , and more americans will be without health insurance .  those who work for small businesses should have the same type of access to health insurance that their counterparts in large corporations already enjoy .  i urge congress to pass h.r. 525 .  congress must pass this bipartisan legislation to give much needed relief to american small businesses , farmers , and hard working families .  