Committee hears bill to modernize multiple‑employer self‑insured plans for small businesses

Representatives and witnesses told the committee that House Bill 2596 would modernize statutory language governing multiple‑employer self‑insured health plans to reflect current practice and expand access for small businesses.

Representative Peggy McGough, sponsor of HB 2596, said the bill aligns state law with federal guidance on sole‑proprietor eligibility and updates the surplus calculation so plan reserves are risk‑based rather than an arbitrary fixed amount. McGough said the measure does not create a new program or change benefits but would help plans like the Chamber Benefit Plan continue serving small employers.

Cara Korchis, president and CEO of the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, provided technical details and said the Chamber Benefit Plan covers about 4,018 small employers and 44,000 lives. She asked the committee to adopt a more universally accepted, risk‑based surplus standard and described the plan's governance (a trust administered by participating employers and a carrier relationship with Anthem).

Local chamber leaders and small business owners offered brief support. Tamara Tatesian (Callaway Chamber of Commerce) said the program helped rural employers retain workers. Jan Haviland, who described saving roughly $10,000 a year by joining the plan, said the arrangement was a 'game changer' for her small manufacturing business.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about plan design comparisons with the Farm Bureau arrangement, eligibility for farmers, underwriting and stop‑loss reinsurance; witnesses answered that the bill is technical and intended to preserve ACA compliance while expanding certain eligibility and modernizing surplus calculations.

The committee concluded the hearing on House Bill 2596 with testimony from multiple small‑business and chamber witnesses; no committee action on the bill is recorded in the public transcript.