Changing the Health Care Debate

 

As the presidential candidates lay out their health care plans, the U.S. Chamber is trying to steer the national dialogue toward market-driven reforms.

 

In a recent speech, and during a roundtable discussion with national reporters, Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue outlined the organization's key principles.

 

Keep the Employer-Based System. More than 130 million Americans receive health care insurance through private employers. Taking employers out of the mix and giving more control to the federal government would require additional taxes and create new layers of regulations and inefficiencies. To keep the employer-based system viable, Congress should allow small businesses to pool risk and purchase coverage at an affordable price. Further, the ERISA preemption-which protects self-insured companies from being subject to various state mandates and regulations-must be preserved.

 

Implement Health IT. Converting paper medical records and other information to an electronic format that can be shared quickly throughout the health care supply chain would reduce costs and medical errors.

 

Increase Transparency. Consumers must have easily accessible information on providers and procedures to make informed decisions and reduce overall costs.

 

Promote Wellness and Prevention. The Chamber supports tax incentives for employer prevention and wellness programs that could mitigate costly treatment.

 

Enact Medical Liability Reform. The Chamber supports specialized Health Liability Courts, which would remove medical malpractice claims from the tort system.

 

Create a Robust Individual Market. Individually purchased insurance should enjoy the same tax treatment as employer-purchased coverage. Lawmakers should also improve Health Savings Accounts by increasing the annual contribution limit and allowing funds to be used for purchasing health insurance.