Health Leaders Applaud Congressional Passage, Presidential Signing of Legislation to Address Employer Health Costs

WASHINGTON – The Healthcare Leadership Council today praised Congress and President Obama for the enactment of the Protecting Affordable Coverage for Employees (PACE) Act, which will assist mid-size employers to keep their current health coverage and avoid the prospect of significant premium increases.

The PACE legislation addressed a provision in the Affordable Care Act that, in 2016, would have changed the definition of a small employer from one with 50 or fewer employees to one with 100 employees or fewer. The new law keeps the definition at 50 employees, although states have the option to increase that number if they choose.

“This legislation will help prevent disruption in the employer health insurance market and bring greater certainty and cost stability to mid-size businesses,” said HLC President Mary R. Grealy. “What’s particularly encouraging is that Republicans and Democrats put partisanship aside and worked together to enact a necessary improvement to the Affordable Care Act. We hope to see more of this bipartisanship on health policy.”