“NRF has long sought to ease access to affordable health coverage for retail employees...These bills advance positive change for employees and employers alike.”
WASHINGTON – The National Retail Federation urged the House to pass two bills scheduled for votes today that would advance flexibility for retail employees with health savings accounts. All related votes may be included in NRF’s annual voting scorecard.
“NRF has long sought to ease access to affordable health coverage for retail employees,” NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French wrote in a letter to all House members. “Given that more than 20 million Americans are covered by high-deductible health plans paired with an HSA, greater flexibility in their use is particularly important...These bills advance positive change for employees and employers alike.”
The Increasing Access to Lower Premium Plans and Expanding Health Savings Accounts Act would delay the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Tax, which disproportionally affects small businesses. The bill would also allow working seniors covered by an HSA-eligible high-deductible health plan and enrolled in Medicare Part A to continue contributing to HSAs.
The Restoring Access to Medication and Modernizing Health Savings Accounts Act takes several steps to modernize HSAs by allowing plans to provide coverage before the deductible is met, increasing flexibility for retail and onsite clinics, and treating certain over-the-counter drugs as qualified medical expenses.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation is the world’s largest retail trade association. Based in Washington, D.C., NRF represents discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.6 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy.