WASHINGTON, DC - The House Ways and Means Committee today held a hearing on health reform in the 21st Century. Members of the Committee discussed trends in employer-sponsored insurance, which provides coverage for nearly 160 million people in working families, along with strategies to strengthen existing coverage.
“Reforming our nation’s health care system must build on, and strengthen, employer-sponsored insurance, not undermine it," said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY). “Reining in the rising cost of health care with a public health insurance option will help to make coverage more affordable for employers. The resulting effects of increased coverage and a healthy workforce will help lower costs and improve the competitiveness of American businesses."
The panel consisted of:
* Elise Gould, Director of Health Policy Research, Economic Policy Institute
* J. Randall MacDonald, Senior Vice President for Human Resources, IBM Corporation
* Kelly Conklin, Owner, Foley-Waite Custom Woodworking, Bloomfield, NJ
* Gerry Shea, Director of Government Affairs, AFL-CIO
* Denny Dennis, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
* John Sheils, The Lewin Group
Elise Gould from the Economic Policy Institute spoke to the importance of strengthening Employer-Sponsored Insurance (ESI):
"ESI, particularly among large firms, works because it pools risk, has low administrative costs, and offers a stable source of coverage for a large share of the population. Many of these people enjoy the benefits they receive and would like to keep them. However, we have seen a weakening in ESI over the last several years and it is important to examine strategies to strengthen ESI and find ways to provide this high-value coverage to more Americans."
To view Gould`s testimony, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ouM7uzhqw
IBM`s J. Randall MacDonald discussed the importance of having shared responsibility between employers, individuals, and the government:
"Reform can only succeed with an approach built on shared responsibility. All stakeholders must come here with an open mind, and share the burdens as well as the benefits of reform… We believe that the crisis in American health care is too complex for any one person, for any one organization, or one sector of our society to figure out the solution. We need a comprehensive solution."
To view MacDonald`s testimony, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_WKKDeSZZE
Kelly Conklin talked about how the choice of a public health insurance plan would help small business owners like himself:
"A well-designed public health insurance plan would finally give small businesses like mine real bargaining power, provide a guaranteed backup, and introduce greater transparency. Most importantly, by creating genuine competition and restoring vitality to the market dynamic, innovation in the private sector will occur. I`m not against private insurance. I`m just saying, we need more options."
To view Conklin`s testimony, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFt65a7Mp3M
