For more than a decade prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), NAR surveys indicated that 28-33 percent of REALTORS® were uninsured in any given year. Without health insurance, REALTORS® and other self-employed individuals are unable to seek necessary medical attention and/or face significant financial burdens when they or their dependents need medical care. As part of efforts to address the health insurance needs of members, NAR has advocated for reform of the health insurance markets that provide coverage to the self-employed and small employers since the health care reform debates of the mid-nineties.

Among the legislative approaches that NAR has advocated are small business health options plans (SHOP), small business health plans (SBHPs), and association health plans (AHPs). AHPs allow self-employed individuals and small employers to purchase health insurance through professional or trade associations. These plans are subject to different rules than plans in the individual and small group insurance markets, and tend to be less costly. NAR continues to represent the interests of the REALTOR® community in discussions on comprehensive health reform.

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