Representing Ohio’s Leading Health Insurance Agents
FEDERAL HEALTH CARE REFORM
Many OAHU members are rightly concerned about the Federal health care reform proposals that are being vigorously debated in Washington. That concern has been heightened by President Obama’s recent statements that a public plan option should be a part of any reform package. And even if a public plan option is not included there are concerns about how agents will participate in the health insurance delivery system. These are all very real concerns that NAHU and OAHU are working hard to address. It is important to know, however, that major players in the health care system have similar concerns and are also working just as vigorously to preserve our private health insurance system.
In this regard, below are links to testimony and comments submitted by the following national groups: NAHU, the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Medical Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, and the American Hospital Association. While there is clearly a diversity of comments, there is also much in common in the views expressed:
1. All groups have concerns about a public plan option.
2. There is strong support for maintaining the employer based system.
3. Several support subsidies to purchase health insurance in both the individual and group market.
4. Several support tax credits as a way to encourage purchase of health insurance in the individual market.
5. Several support mechanisms to ensure high risk persons have access to affordable health insurance in the individual market.
6. AMA and AHA, in particular, point out what NAHU has been saying for a long time: that continued expansion of government programs paying providers below their costs will ultimately price the private market out of business and cannot be sustained.
While you will find opinions expressed by these groups that may not entirely coincide with your and NAHU’s opinions, all groups have a strong desire to preserve and build upon our private system as we work to attain universal coverage in this country. Below are links to comments from each of the trade associations:
National Association of Health Underwriters
http://www.nahu.org/legislative/joint_letter.pdf
http://www.nahu.org/legislative/charts/HELP_Testimony.pdf
http://www.nahu.org/legislative/charts/ed_labor_testimony.pdf
National Association of Manufacturers
http://www.nam.org/hrp/SenateFinanceCoverageOptionsResponse.pdf
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
American Medical Association
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/399/hsr-senate-finance-part2-comments-11may2009.pdf
America’s Health Insurance Plans
American Hospital Association
OAHU Association Office: 1545 W. 130th Street, Suite A2, Hinckley, OH 44233
Phone 330-273-5756 · Fax (216) 803-9900 · admin@ohioahu.org
Government Affairs Office
John McGough & Keith Shoemaker · 100 South Third Street · Suite 111 · Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: 614-221-5771 · Fax: 614- 221-2865 · jmcgough@mcgough-inc.com · kshoemaker@mcgough-inc.com