{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-onders-self-insurance-protection-act-passes-house", "Rep. Onder\u2019s Self-Insurance Protection Act Passes the House", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "MO", "Robert F. Onder, Jr.", "O000177", "onder.house.gov", "onder", "https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Contact: Brooke Morgan (Washington, D.C.) \u2013 Tonight, the House passed H.R. 6703, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which includes Congressman Bob Onder\u2019s bill, H.R. 2571, the Self-Insurance Protection Act. This legislation ensures that employers who choose to self-insure retain access to a critical financial tool\u2014stop-loss insurance.\n\n\u201cAmericans deserve autonomy in their health coverage decisions, and small businesses should have the flexibility to choose a health plan that best meets the needs of their employees. As a physician, I\u2019ve seen firsthand how greater competition and choice can drive down costs. The Self-Insurance Protection Act ensures that businesses, large and small, can provide the right health care coverage for their workers without unnecessary government interference,\u201d said Congressman Onder.\n\n\u201cAt a time when health care costs are on the rise, we need to give businesses more tools to control their costs, not fewer. Unfortunately, Democrat-led states are intent on saddling self-insured health plans that use reinsurance to insulate themselves from unexpected high claims with more regulations by subjecting them to state health insurance law. This legislation confirms the obvious \u2013 reinsurance is different from health insurance and should not be regulated as such. Millions of Americans depend on self-insured employer-sponsored health plans. The Self-Insurance Protection Act will defend their access to high quality and affordable health care,\u201d said Education and Workforce Committee Chairman, Rep. Walberg.\n\n-30-\n\nLink to the full bill text for H.R. 2571 HERE\n\nLink to the full bill text for H.R.6703 HERE\n\nBackground Information\n\nMany employers choose to self-insure by covering their employees\u2019 medical costs directly\u2014either by paying providers or reimbursing employees as claims arise. In many cases, self-insured employers work with third-party administrators to manage provider networks and claims processing.\n\nTo manage financial risk, many self-insured employers rely on stop-loss insurance, which provides protection against unexpectedly high or catastrophic medical claims. Stop-loss coverage is a critical tool that enables employers, particularly small and mid-sized businesses, to offer health benefits while maintaining financial stability.\n\nDespite its importance, stop-loss insurance has faced increasing scrutiny at the state level. New York currently prohibits stop-loss coverage for businesses with fewer than 100 employees, and other states have considered similar restrictions. While stop-loss insurance has traditionally been regulated by states and not at the federal level, the Obama administration signaled interest in redefining certain stop-loss policies as traditional health insurance. In 2014, the Department of Labor issued guidance stating that state laws regulating stop-loss insurance would not be preempted by ERISA, opening the door for states to restrict or prohibit its use.\n\nH.R. 2571, the Self-Insurance Protection Act, amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to:\n\nClarify that federal regulators may not classify stop-loss insurance as traditional health insurance; and\n\nAffirm that ERISA preempts state laws that attempt to block self-insurance by regulating or prohibiting stop-loss coverage.\n\nThis legislation ensures that businesses, especially small employers, retain the flexibility to offer health coverage without unnecessary government interference.", 1, "2026-06-05T06:35:23Z", "2026-06-05T06:36:42Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://onder.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-onders-self-insurance-protection-act-passes-house"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9653056040406227, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}