Tom Price and Alfredo Ortiz write in The Hill about the woefully unequal playing fields for big versus small businesses under current healthcare law and urge Democrats to rectify this by applying the same principles here as they have with retirement plans:

Why do Democrats support small businesses grouping together to cut costs on retirement plans but oppose them doing so for health insurance plans?

That’s the question small business owners across the country are asking after the Democrats passed significant retirement legislation last month that allows small businesses to band together in association retirement plans (ARPs), yet remain opposed to association health plans (AHPs). Both vehicles let small businesses form associations to create the economies of scale necessary to negotiate cheaper plans enjoyed by their big business competitors.

The SECURE Act, which passed the House of Representatives by 417 to 3, is the most sweeping retirement legislation in decades. ARPs, which are a feature of the bill, would help address the lack of retirement savings options offered by small businesses. Currently, only about half of small businesses nationwide offer employee retirement plans.