Health Care

Skyrocketing health care costs are stifling the economy and financially devastating hardworking Americans. 

A healthy workforce is the backbone of a strong economy, but spiraling health care costs curb the competitiveness of U.S. businesses and constrain tight family budgets. Unless we deal with this problem, more companies and families will be forced into dropping coverage. A government-run or single-payer health care system with government mandates is the wrong answer to our health care problems. The Chamber believes that employers drive innovation in health benefits, thereby making market-driven health reforms the best approach to reducing costs, while promoting efficiency, wellness, and quality of care. To reignite and sustain economic growth, we must increase access to affordable health care coverage, improve efficiency, and realign the system to focus on keeping people healthy. 

The Chamber encourages comprehensive reform of the current health care system that incorporates the following five main elements: 

• Increased Access: Strengthen employer-sponsored health insurance and make it more available-and affordable-to every worker. We support leveling the playing field for individual consumers, families, and small businesses to purchase coverage while protecting the benefits of a uniform federal regulatory system (ERISA) 
• Health Information Technology (IT): Promoting and ensuring widespread adoption of interoperable Health IT-including electronic prescriptions and use of computerized systems to store medical records-will improve quality, lower costs, reduce medical errors, and help patients and doctors make better medical decisions. 
• Prevention and Wellness: Incentivizing individuals and businesses to live healthier lifestyles could avert millions of cases of chronic diseases and reduce health care costs. 
• Consumer-Focused Health Care: Congress should make account-based plans more attractive to small businesses by increasing flexibility and improving the transparency of cost and quality data so that Americans can shop smart for the best care. 
• Medical Liability Reform: The Chamber supports health courts and other medical liability reforms that ensure fair damage awards, eliminate frivolous lawsuits, and lower the costs of health care.