Contact: |
John Schachter |
|
(202) 862-1260 |
Release Date: |
10/05/2000 |
(Washington, DC) — The Business Roundtable (BRT) today
joined Missouri employer groups in thanking Senator John
Ashcroft for supporting sensible health care reforms that are
right for Missouri families and employers while opposing
unlimited health care lawsuits such as those found in the
Dingell-Norwood-Kennedy patients’ bill of rights.
“Senator Ashcroft has voted for common-sense health care
reforms that protect patients and allow doctors to make
medical decisions, but spare employers from unlimited lawsuits
that would increase costs and the uninsured,” said Patricia
Hanahan Engman, Executive Director of The Business Roundtable.
“Thanks to Senator Ashcroft, employers will still be able to
voluntarily provide an important benefit to their workers, and
employees can count on having the health insurance they need
and deserve for themselves and their families.”
The Senate-passed patients’ bill of rights supported by
Sen. Ashcroft embraces three critical tenets of health care
reform. One, it keeps health care costs down so families and
individuals can afford insurance; two, it ensures more people
are insured; and three, it allows doctors to make medical
decisions. The Kennedy-Dingell-Norwood bill, which was
defeated twice in the Senate, would subject employers to
costly, unlimited lawsuits that could have severe consequences
on the employer-based health care system.
A large majority of insured Americans (160 million people)
receive their health coverage from their employers. But if
faced with the probability of being hauled into court and
subjected to costly damages, many employers would be forced to
reevaluate their roles in providing health benefits.
Independent surveys have shown that some employers would
seriously consider dropping employee health coverage. New
health care lawsuits would further burden employers, workers
and their families by driving up the cost of health insurance
and forcing millions more into the growing ranks of the
uninsured. This would come at a time when health care costs
are already increasing by as much as 30 percent across the
country.
The Business Roundtable has run print and radio
advertisements in Missouri thanking Senator Ashcroft for
supporting common-sense health care reforms but opposing
unlimited lawsuits.
# # #
The Business Roundtable is an association of
chief executive officers of leading corporations with a
combined workforce of more than 10 million employees in the
United States. The chief executives are committed to
advocating public policies that foster vigorous economic
growth and a dynamic global economy.