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NEWS RELEASE
November 7, 2009
House-approved health care reform bill is a missed opportunity; last chance for balanced, bipartisan legislation rests with the SenateWASHINGTON, D.C. — “Today’s passage of the U.S. House of Representatives version of sweeping health legislation makes the U.S. Senate the last hope for a balanced, responsible measure that might have some chance for bipartisan support. As an organization that has worked tirelessly for years to reform the health care system, the American Benefits Council is greatly disappointed that today’s vote represents a missed opportunity to craft a bill that would not only address the imperative to expand coverage, but would also truly improve the quality of care, and meaningfully begin to control costs. Instead, this legislation is likely to destabilize the employer-sponsored health coverage system that serves 160 million Americans,” said James A. Klein, president of the American Benefits Council.“As we have stated repeatedly over the past several months, the House bill’s regulatory framework will, unintentionally, compel many employers to cease offering health coverage and simply ‘pay’ a penalty rather than ‘play’ through sponsoring a plan – thereby losing all the innovation that employers bring through promoting wellness programs and insisting on good quality outcomes,” said Klein. “All eyes now rest on the Senate and we will continue our efforts there to help achieve much-needed and long-overdue health care system reform,” Klein concluded. The Council’s letter to the House of Representatives, setting forth our perspectives is available on the Council Web site. For more information, or to arrange an interview with Council staff, please contact Jason Hammersla, Council director of communications, at jhammersla@abcstaff.org or by phone at 202-289-6700 (office) or (202) 253-5458 (cell).
The American Benefits Council is the national trade association for companies concerned about federal legislation and regulations affecting all aspects of the employee benefits system. The Council’s members represent the entire spectrum of the private employee benefits community and either sponsor directly or administer retirement and health plans covering more than 100 million Americans.
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