Health Care Reform Bill Threatens Employer Programs

SOCMA has warned against the health care reform bill. In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader John Boehner, SOCMA asked the lawmakers to support the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) framework, which has been a cornerstone of the employment-based healthcare system for more than 30 years.

In the letter, SOCMA and other business associations also stated points such as: employment-based healthcare provides coverage for over 130 million Americans, most of whom are satisfied with that coverage, employers rely upon the existing framework’s predictability, flexibility and efficiency, the current reform bill would make costly changes to ERISA that undermine companies’ ability to sponsor coverage for employees and their families, the current reform bill would place increased burdens on employers by forcing them to meet federal one-size-fits-all standards within five years, and the provisions will raise costs for employers and employees without improving quality or efficiency.