Council for Affordable Health Coverage: Erosion of ERISA Leads to More Government-Run Health Care

WASHINGTON, March 16 -- The Council for Affordable Health Coverage issued the following news release:

For 50 years, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) has allowed employers to provide employees and their families - no matter where they live or work - with high-quality health insurance, but recent federal and state government efforts are threatening to erode that protection.

In comments to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Council for Affordable Health Coverage (CAHC) highlighted the importance of strengthening ERISA. Large employers with employees in multiple states can provide robust, uniform benefits because of ERISA. In fact, most people in the U.S. get their coverage from an employer, thanks to ERISA. The law reduces the red tape of complying with multiple differing state and local coverage requirements, making it easier for employers to offer - and employees to receive - robust health coverage.

CAHC also spotlighted how ERISA could also play a role in providing small businesses with more options to provide coverage to their employees. Small businesses are easier to self-insure, but some states have started limiting small employers' ability to offer self-funded plans. Through ERISA, level-funded plans could be protected from state efforts to limit small employers' ability to offer them.

To protect and strengthen ERISA, CAHC recommends Congress:

* Expand options for employers and their employees

* Provide financial incentives to ensure employer coverage remains viable

* Enact policies to lower the cost of health services and drugs to reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs

"Americans who receive health coverage from their employer or union, like it and want to keep it. Policymakers should build on the success of ERISA," said Joel White, president of the Council for Affordable Health Coverage. "Continued erosion of the employer market will play right into the hands of those who want 'single-payer,' 'Medicare for all,' 'public option,' or whatever the latest smoke screen is called for low-quality government-run health plans."

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Original text here: https://cahc.net/erosion-of-erisa-leads-to-more-government-run-health-care/