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8757 Georgia Avenue, Suite 600 Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone: 301.590.2000 Fax: 301.590.2248 www.gcaar.com |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27, 2005
Contact: Amy Ritsko-Warren, Director of Communications
301.590.8764
awarren@gcaar.com
The Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS® hails the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Small Business Health Fairness Act, H.R. 525, late yesterday.
The legislation will allow small businesses and self-employed workers to band together through a trade or professional association to negotiate lower health insurance costs for participants. Small business health plans would operate under the same rules as federally regulated large corporate and union plans that provide group health insurance to all participants regardless of where they live.
The bill was introduced earlier this year by Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Sam Johnson (R-Texas), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.) and by Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Jim Talent (R-Mo.), Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.). President Bush pledged his strong support for the legislation in his speech at the REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meeting & Trade Expo in May, generating a standing ovation from thousands of REALTORS®. REALTORS® sent more than 140,000 letters to members of Congress this spring and summer urging them to pass the bill.
"More than a quarter of our members are small business people or independent contractors who cannot find quality, affordable health care for their employees and families," said National Association of REALTORS® President Al Mansell of Salt Lake City. "The Small Business Health Fairness Act would allow trade associations like NAR to offer a uniform health care plan and use our collective bargaining power to lower the cost of health insurance for REALTORS® everywhere. We applaud the House of Representatives for passing the bill and look forward to working with the Senate."
A significant number of America's 45 million uninsured citizens work for small businesses that cannot afford to offer quality health insurance benefits to their workers. According to a recent survey of National Association of REALTORS® members, 28 percent of NAR's more than 1 million members are uninsured. Only 7 percent of real estate firms offer health care coverage for independent contractors, who are the largest segment of real estate agents.
GCAAR is the voice for REALTORS® in Washington, DC and Montgomery County, Maryland. Representing more than 11,000 real estate professionals in the greater capital area, GCAAR provides numerous services vital to its members' daily business needs and works with lawmakers to ensure public policy that encourages home ownership.
