HEALTHCARE AGENDA:

Healthcare is an area of prime concern for our members who require better coverage at lower cost for their employees. Employee health benefit costs continue to surge past inflation and wage growth rates in the United States. The extreme rise in healthcare costs, including the cost of care for the underinsured, is a major barrier to job growth and the expansion of businesses in the state.

Action Needed:

• Ensure that any new healthcare initiatives do not unfairly burden the business community.
• Create incentives for healthy lifestyle and consumer health education as a means of cost control.
• Promote more flexible benefit plans that will enable businesses to provide more affordable healthcare for their employees.
• Increase Medicaid rates and State Administered General Assistance (SAGA) rates to reflect the cost of patient care.