FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Renae Wagner (202 973-1376
Employers to Congress: First, Do No Harm
Washington, DC, January 6, 1999 - The Health Benefits
Coalition announced today that it is running a new print ad that asks
Congress to oppose any health care legislation that would increase costs
and force millions more Americans into the ranks of the uninsured. The ad
coincides with the swearing-in of new members and comes in anticipation of
a strong push by President Clinton and congressional Democrats to revive
their failed Patients' Bill of Rights (H.R. 3605/ S.1890) early in the
106th Congress - which they claim will be a top priority.
The ad, which is running
in Roll Call, The Hill and The Washington Times,
warns of the harmful side effects of a Patients' Bill of Rights and uses
expanded liability as an example of how one provision alone will add
substantially to costs and the number of uninsured. The liability
provision is estimated to increase premiums by 8.6% and force nearly two
million more people to lose their health coverage (The Barents Group,
1998).
"When the new Congress takes its oath, members should pledge to do no
harm and to not pass a health care 'reform' bill which will increase costs
for families, drive up the number of uninsured and do more harm than good
to our health care system," said Dan Danner, chairman of the Health
Benefits Coalition.
In addition to expanded liability, the ad alerts Congress of the
dangers of going too far, too fast with too much government involvement -
especially at a time when health care costs are on the rise and the number
of uninsured is passing 43 million.
The Health Benefits Coalition was very active in opposing health care mandates in the 105th Congress and has pledged to continue its efforts to educate Congress and all Americans about the harmful consequences of health care mandates in 1999.
