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Employer's Take on
Government Run Health Care |
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Some have compared
President Barack Obama's proposed health care reform to socialism, while others
have shown strong support for a complete health care overhaul, which would
include a public plan that would compete with private insurers.
To learn what some in the corporate arena think, Aon Consulting initiated a
health care reform survey, asking more than 1,100 employers their opinions on
key issues in the debate, such as the government-sponsored public plan, employer
mandate, financing reform and other important policy proposals under
consideration in Washington. The survey targeted benefits managers and other
senior human resources representatives within organizations around the country
with anywhere from 50 to more than 10,000 employees.
According to the findings, most respondents (81% to be exact) oppose having a
government-run, national health care plan similar to Canada's program. A
whopping 93% responded in favor of continuing an employer-based health care
system as a way to increase the number of Americans with medical coverage, "but
with a greater focus on wellness and chronic condition management and
evidence-based medicine guidelines."
Under Obama's original proposal, an employer mandate would be put in place
requiring most employers to provide coverage to employees or pay into a
government fund for Americans without health insurance. Those that do not offer
minimum group health coverage or are not exempt (i.e., small employers) would
have to decide whether to pay the 6% to 8% of payroll to the government fund or
sponsor group health coverage. 63% of respondents opposed the employer mandate.
it seems that Obama's "public option" health care is not only opposed by those
responding to Aon's survey, but also by many other American citizens, and even
some Democrats within the Senate. Opposition to the plan is what prompted
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) to propose the idea of a nonprofit insurance co-op.
The co-op, modeled after rural electric and agricultural cooperatives of the
Midwest, would offer insurance through a nonprofit, nongovernmental consumer
entity run by its members.
In regards to financing health care reform, respondents believe the least
preferred method of financing would be changing or limiting the tax treatment of
employer-sponsored group health coverage. Instead, respondents favored the
utilization of comparative effectiveness research to eliminate low-value-added
medical and prescription drug services, changing physician and hospital
reimbursement or individual lifestyle taxes on tobacco and alcohol.
With opposition from most Republicans and even some Democrats, there is talk
that Obama's "public option" health plan may be dropped completely, though
Obama's team doubts the public option will disappear.
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