mr. speaker , i rise today to address the issue of health care insurance in america , its rising costs and a solution that will help to reduce the cost for many americans .  our nation is in the midst of a health care crisis .  this crisis affects pennsylvania 's health care professionals , their patients and the doctor-patient relationship .  this crisis is especially acute in my district in southeastern pennsylvania .  last week i held a small business committee forum in my district .  the health care crisis and how it affects small businesses was the topic of the forum .  the gentleman from illinois ( mr. manzullo )  was kind enough to come to the forum and to apply his many years of experience to the issue , and i thank the gentleman for his contribution and for his insights .  pennsylvania 's health care problems are among the worst in the nation .  doctors in pennsylvania are faced with some of the highest medical malpractice insurance rates in the country .  because they can not afford to pay for malpractice insurance , many pennsylvania physicians are practicing defensive medicine or simply shutting their doors , moving to other states or retiring .  young doctors establishing a new practice are reluctant to consider pennsylvania because of malpractice insurance problems .  over 50 percent of pennsylvanians say their family has had difficulty in paying the cost of health care or obtaining health insurance coverage .  since 2001 , the cost of health insurance has risen 59 percent , and employers who offer health care benefits are paying an average of 11 percent more for health insurance premiums than they did in 2004 .  this is the fourth year in a row of double digit increases with no end in sight .  from a national perspective , the statistics are staggering .  the labor department has recently reported that 3.7 million new jobs were created since may of 2003 , marking 25 consecutive months of positive job growth for the u.s. economy .  unfortunately , there are 41 million americans who are without health care insurance .  nearly 60 percent of the 41 million uninsured americans are employed by small businesses or are dependent on someone who is employed by a small business .  as health care costs continue to increase , fewer employers and working families will be able to obtain coverage , and the number of uninsured will inevitably rise .  for a nation of the 21st century , and in a country that boasts the world 's largest and most productive economy , this is simply unacceptable .  the skyrocketing cost of health care is making employer-sponsored health coverage harder and harder for businesses , especially small businesses , to provide to their employees .  this fact makes it nearly impossible for many hard working families to receive affordable care that they need and deserve .  i am proud to say the house republicans have a plan to increase and improve america 's access to affordable and high quality health care .  association health plans will help employers , especially small business owners , afford quality health care for their employees and their families , will improve the quality of life and provide much needed health security .  ahps address both health care access and cost by allowing small businesses to create associations that may jointly purchase health insurance for their workers at a lower cost .  specifically , ahps establish eligibility requirements so that all ahps are required to offer fully-insured and/or self-insured benefits .  ahps encourage broad participation and coverage by prohibiting discrimination of any kind against certain `` high-risk '' individuals .  ahps will cover specific diseases , maternal and newborn hospitalization and mental health issues .  ahps will be exempt from costly and burdensome state health insurance regulations to enable greater and more effective coverage .  ahps will be financially strong and responsible by reserving enough funds for potential costs and other obligations .  ahps have enjoyed the support of a wide coalition , including the u.s. chamber of commerce , the national federation of independent businesses , the american farm bureau , the associated builders and contractors , the latino coalition , the national black chamber of commerce , the national association of women business owners and the national restaurant association .  these organizations have endorsed ahps because ahps will reduce health insurance costs for employers .  for example , insurers selling directly to small employers typically incur administrative costs of 20 to 25 percent .  by contrast , the congressional budget office has estimated that small businesses that obtain insurance through ahps will save an average of 13 percent .  other estimates have indicated cost savings could be as much as 25 percent .  ahps will significantly reduce the number of uninsured americans .  ahps , according to a study by the research corporation , estimates that up to 8.5 million uninsured workers and dependents could gain coverage from ahp legislation .  and this study confirms even a small cost savings can result in large increases in purchasing power for all of our small businesses .  the cbo has concluded , mr. speaker , that association health plan legislation would extend insurance coverage for up to two million uninsured american workers with no cost to the government .  i encourage my colleagues to support the small business health insurance act , h.r. 525 , when it comes to the floor this week .  