| President Bush has indicated he intends to make passage of association health plan legislation a key component of his domestic policy agenda for 2005. During his State of the Union address on Feb. 2, Bush urged lawmakers to create “association health plans for small businesses and their employees,” and at public appearances in Washington and around the country he continues to call for congressional action on the plans. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that there are roughly 45 million uninsured Americans today, up from 41 million four years ago and 43.6 million in the past two years. More than 24 million of these workers are employed by small businesses. “Many of NAHB’s 220,000 member-firms consist of small business employers who have experienced dramatic increases in health insurance premium costs in recent years, making it difficult to provide quality health insurance at an affordable price. Association health plans will put small businesses on an equal footing with large employers and unions when it comes to negotiating lower insurance costs. In short, they will bring Fortune 500 health benefits to Main Street small businesses, their employees and working families,” said Wilson. To read the legislation, click here and enter the bill number in the box at the upper left. | 
