[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 42 (Monday, April 18, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
      WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH CARE INITIATIVE

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                         HON. CHARLES H. TAYLOR

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 18, 1994

  Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, for the past several 
years, Congress and the Nation have been debating health care. Being a 
small businessman myself, I have been concerned that this debate has 
often excluded the impact to our largest provider of jobs in this 
country, the small businesses.
  In western North Carolina, small businesses provide 90 percent of the 
jobs for our people. More than two-thirds of the new jobs created in 
our country come from small businesses.
  We must include the impact of any health care initiative by Congress 
on our small employers. In western North Carolina, it is encouraging to 
report of a new initiative being undertaken to assist small businesses 
with health care for their employees. I believe Congress should provide 
for alternatives such as the one being undertaken in my district.
  In 1993, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill allowing 
regional health care purchasing cooperatives. Specifically, the measure 
was aimed at allowing businesses with 50 employees or less to pool 
their financial resources to shop more effectively for health care 
insurance. This will increase the affordability, efficiency, and 
fairness of health coverage for small businesses.
  Following the ratification of this bill, the Asheville Area Chamber 
of Commerce established a communitywide team to evaluate prospects for 
creating a voluntary small business health alliance. This 20-person 
panel was comprised of physicians, hospital administration officials, 
health educators, small business owners, and insurance professionals. 
They named the WNC initiative Health Link.
  Health Link will become North Carolina's first voluntary alliance of 
small businesses dedicated to reducing the costs associated with health 
care insurance for small businesses across western North Carolina.
  Health Link will be administered by a newly chartered private, 
nonprofit corporation. Health Link will work through chambers of 
commerce and other business organizations. Health Link will develop a 
system for qualifying agents to sell approved health plans and provide 
regular education programs to assure that agents maintain the latest 
information on current plans.
  Health Link will drive down insurance costs to small businesses by 
providing competition for alliance business among insurance companies 
and developing a large pool of alliance participants.
  The principle which will make Health Link successful is that small 
business will gain bargaining power from strength in numbers. Health 
Link is allowing the free enterprise system to work.
  It is an honor for me to be a community sponsor for Health Link. I 
look forward to sharing this concept with other Members of Congress as 
we proceed in our health care debate.

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