ABC, along with 3,159 organizations and businesses, signed onto a letter sent by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urging all members of Congress to work with the business community to enact constructive health care reform. The same day, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) announced that he will initiate a committee mark up of a comprehensive health care reform bill the week of Sept. 21.
In addition to the bill proposed by Baucus, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions July 15 passed another version of health care reform out of the committee. The U.S. House of Representatives’ is currently to working to combine three different versions of their health care proposals into a single bill.
The thousands of businesses and organizations that signed onto the letter expressed concern about the creation of a government-run insurance plan as described in H.R. 3200 and the bill proposed by Baucus. The letter noted that the increased costs and lack of competition caused by a government plan will force employers to stop offering their current plan, forcing more than 170 million Americans to change their health insurance.
In addition, the letter noted that a proposal to enact “pay or play” mandates will kill jobs by forcing employers to either provide health insurance or pay fines.
“Market forces and employer autonomy should determine what benefits employers provide, rather than Congress,” the letter stated. “Collectively, we are dedicated to improving our nations’ health care system, especially in terms of lowering health care costs, improving the quality of care, and making sure every American has access to affordable coverage. However, we believe that the legislation currently being considered would not improve the system, but jeopardize the parts of the system that currently work.”
To help members better understand the health care issue, ABC also offers an online toolkit that includes side-by-side comparisons of proposed health care plans; an explanatory fact sheet; and ABC’s position on health care reform; updates on the bills’ progress on the Hill; and a newsletter article template.
Since calls, emails and face-to-face meetings are the most effective methods of communication with members of Congress, the toolkit also contains a telephone script and links to directly email elected representatives.
For more information or to access the toolkit, visit
www.abc.org/healthcare.
To read the letter, click
here.