The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Restoring Access to Medications Act (H.R. 1270 ) July 6, which would roll back a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires prescriptions for over-the-counter medications purchased under flexible spending arrangements and health savings accounts. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) and Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), passed the House 243-164  in a bi-partisan vote.

On April 28, ABC submitted a letter to the chairmen of the congressional Task Force on Health Care Reform urging them to take action on common-sense health care solutions.  In the letter, ABC expressed its strong support for the task force’s mission to “modernize American health care with a patient-centered system that gives patients more choice and control, increases quality, and reduces costs.”

On April 12, ABC joined more than 60 national and multi-state organizations across the country in sending a letter  to members of the House Committee on Ways and Means urging them to take action on the Small Business Healthcare Relief Act (H.R. 2911 ).  The bill would allow small businesses that have fewer than 50 employees to offer employer payment plans and Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) to employees for the payment of premiums or qualified medical expenses associated with insurance coverage.

ABC and 40 of its chapters joined the More Time for Full-Time Initiative in urging the Senate to co-sponsor the Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2015 which would restore the traditional definition of full-time employment to 40 hours per week in the Affordable Care Act (ACA)which currently defines full-time as at least 30 hours per week. 

The U.S. House of Representatives Jan. 8 voted 252-172 to pass the ABC-supported Save American Workers Act (H.R. 30), which would replace the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) definition of “full time” as 30 hours or more per week with the traditional definition of 40 hours. Before the vote, ABC sent a letter urging Congress to support the bill and markedit as “Key Vote” for their 114th Congressional Scorecard because under the ACA’s current 30-hour rule, many employers will be forced to reduce employee work hours and wages.  

ABC along with a group of business organizations March 31 shared their support to Senate and House Leadership of a bipartisan proposal that would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) statutory cap on deductibles for health plans in the small group market. In addition, ABC sent a letter April 1 to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the Save American Workers Act (H.R. 2575), which would replace ACA’s definition of “full time” as 30 hours or more per week with the traditional definition of 40 hours.

As a part of the Affordable Coverage Project, ABC and other business groups responded to final rules issued by the IRS on the new burdensome health insurance tax beginning on Jan. 1, 2014, calling on Congress to protect employers and consumers from the increased health coverage costs.

ABC, as part of the Health Choices Coalition, sent a letter to Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), supporting the Restoring Access to Medication Act, an effort to avert the unintended consequences resulting from the restrictions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) placed on tax-preferred accounts that prohibit their use for purchasing over-the-counter (“OTC”) medications without a prescription.

The U.S. House of Representatives May 16 voted 229 –195 to pass H.R. 45, which would repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 

ABC May 9 joined 87 other organizations and businesses in supporting the Auto Enroll Repeal Act of 2013 (H.R. 1254) that would repeal a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requiring employers of 200 or more full-time employees to automatically enroll employees in a health plan should coverage not be chosen by the employee.