Close-up

On Sept. 18, NRCA member Jim Eckstein, president of C.A. Eckstein Roofing Inc., Cincinnati, and an NRCA vice president, testified on NRCA's behalf before the House Committee on Small Business regarding health care reform.

The hearing, "Making Health Care Reform Work for Small Business," examined proposed health care reform models and their effects on small businesses. Small-business representatives and leading health care policy experts were called as witnesses to discuss challenges facing entrepreneurs and potential solutions to help them secure health insurance. Eckstein voiced NRCA's support for the Small Business Cooperative for Healthcare Options to Improve Coverage for Employees (CHOICE) Act of 2008 (H.R. 6582), which is designed to provide small businesses with access to affordable health insurance.

"The CHOICE Act is a private-sector solution that creates new purchasing cooperatives designed to allow small businesses to stabilize health insurance costs by pooling risks," Eckstein said. "The bill also provides a tax credit to small employers who purchase health insurance for their employees through a cooperative. Finally, the bill provides a role for trade associations like NRCA to be involved in the development of purchasing cooperatives.

"NRCA believes the establishment of new pooling options for small businesses, such as the cooperatives envisioned by the CHOICE Act, will inject greater levels of competition into the health insurance market," he continued.

Eckstein commended House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) and ranking member Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) for their leadership on small-business issues, as well as for holding the hearing and giving NRCA the opportunity to discuss the health care reform issue. He also urged all committee members to consider sponsoring H.R. 6582.

"NRCA is committed to working with Congress to obtain enactment of the CHOICE Act and possibly other bipartisan proposals that address the problems small businesses face obtaining access to affordable health insurance," Eckstein said.

To submit a photo for Close-up, e-mail professionalroofing@professionalroofing.net or mail a photo to Professional Roofing Attn.: Close-up, 10255 W. Higgins Road, Suite 600, Rosemont, IL 60018. Submittals should include a photo, as well as a description or background for the photo. A $50 gift card will be awarded for the photo that is chosen to be featured in Close-up.