Employers need health reform that controls cost - not increases it.

Employers for a Healthy Economy is a coalition of organizations representing small and large employers that have joined together to protect the employer-sponsored health care that more than 160 million Americans rely on to keep them healthy.

The legislation being put forth by Congress will not improve the state of health care. In fact, it will only make health care more expensive for small business, large business and individuals. If we don’t take this opportunity to control the rate of growth in health care costs we are squandering a golden opportunity. Regrettably the current legislation, as the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has concluded, does little or nothing to control the increasing cost of health care. In fact, current proposals would accelerate cost increases in the health care system.

As we recover from the global economic crisis we cannot afford a proposal that will stifle job creation with new taxes, while doing little to help employers and employees cope with the rising costs of health care.

It is imperative that any health care reform measure considered:

1. Not create a government run healthcare system and thereby undermine private market competition and market-based negotiation;
2. Not tax employer-sponsored health care;
3. Reduce the growth in health care spending rather than accelerate it;
4. Not increase the burden on employers at this difficult economic time.