August 18, 2009
Fresno Chamber Releases Position On
Federal Healthcare Reforms
The United States
has the world’s best health care system, but it is being priced out
of reach for more and more American citizens and companies.
Companies struggle to find health care plans that provide adequate
coverage and are still affordable, and worry about what will come
next year.
The Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce recognizes that most
health care coverage is provided by employers. To make it easier for
employers and their employees to afford the health care coverage
they need, we support legislative action to:
1. Retain viable employer-sponsored health care. Employers
provide voluntary health insurance to over 177 million. ERISA allows
many of them the flexibility to provide uniform benefits to their
employees. ERISA is the backbone of employer-provided coverage and
must be preserved.
2. Reform the
delivery system including payment and reimbursement reform to reduce
costs while increasing quality and outcomes including:
- Implementation of
comprehensive strategies to boost health information technology,
wellness, prevention, disease management, and coordination of care.
- Create a more vibrant
private health insurance market for individuals and small
businesses.
- Hold down soaring
health care costs due to the explosive growth in medical liability
awards and insurance costs through specialized health courts.
- Encourage more
Americans to purchase health insurance by enacting refundable tax
credits for that purpose.
- Encourage more
Americans to save for medical expenses tax-free by expanding Health
Saving Accounts and allowing those with Flexible Spending Accounts
to roll over unused balances to pay for future medical expenses.
The Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce does not support
legislative action that would:
1. Create a Government-run (Public) plan: A government-run
plan would be an unfair competitor, with the government acting as
both a team owner and the referee. Government programs shift costs
to the private sector. The Lewin Group estimates 130 million people
would move from private to public insurance. This could lead to a
government-controlled single-payer system.
2. Create Employer
Mandates: Punishing employers who cannot afford to provide
health insurance coverage, including requirements to pay or play, is
not the answer. Employer mandates, by their nature limit flexibility
and innovation - the cornerstones of American health care.
3. Create Minimum
Required Coverage Level: Proposing a huge Federal Employee
Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)-like minimum coverage package will
bankrupt employers and workers. Cadillac, gold-plated coverage like
this will not appeal to the young. The minimum level of coverage
should be more akin to a high-deductible health plan with coverage
of preventative services.
4. Impose additional
tax burdens individuals or businesses: The implementation of
new taxes and fees for businesses and/or individuals that cannot
afford health insurance would be dramatically counterproductive.
Further, the taxation of health benefits will lead to a reduction in
benefits offered by employers and will lead to higher taxes for many
individuals and businesses.
The Greater
Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce invites you to an Eggs & Issues
Breakfast with Congressman Devin Nunes to talk about healthcare
reform, the Patients Choice Act and both of their impacts on the
Fresno business community.