Washington, D.C. —
Senator John Thune today commented on the growing opposition to the Democrats’ government health care plan that would increase taxes, increase premiums and increase the cost of doing business for American small businesses.
“I applaud the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for highlighting the negative impact the Democrats’ health care plan would have on America’s small businesses. As opposition to the $2.5 trillion health care bill grows, it is important for those that would be harmed by this legislation to speak out against higher taxes, higher premiums and diminished care,” said Thune.
The White House and Senate Democrats have argued that small business needs the Reid bill because it will help small businesses be more competitive in the American marketplace. Yet the NFIB— the nation’s leading association representing actual small businesses—wrote in the attached letter saying that the Democrats’ bill is “the wrong reform at the wrong time and will increase health care costs and the cost of doing business.” Below is an excerpt:
“When evaluating healthcare reform options, small business owners ask themselves two specific questions. First, will the bill lower insurance costs? Second, will the bill increase the overall cost of doing business? If a bill increases the cost of doing business or fails to reduce insurance costs, then the bill fails to achieve their No. 1 goal – lower costs. In both cases, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) fails the small business test and, therefore, fails small business.”
“The most recent CBO study detailing the effect that H.R. 3590 will have on insurance premiums reinforces that, despite claims by its supporters, the bill will not deliver the widely-promised help to the small business community. Instead, CBO findings report that the bill will increase non-group premiums by 10 to 13 percent and result in, at best, a 2 percent decrease for small group coverage by 2016. These findings tell small business all it needs to know – that the current bill does not do enough to reduce costs for small business owners and their employees.”
“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is short on savings and long on costs, is the wrong reform, at the wrong time and will increase healthcare costs and the cost of doing business.”
“I applaud the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for highlighting the negative impact the Democrats’ health care plan would have on America’s small businesses. As opposition to the $2.5 trillion health care bill grows, it is important for those that would be harmed by this legislation to speak out against higher taxes, higher premiums and diminished care,” said Thune.
The White House and Senate Democrats have argued that small business needs the Reid bill because it will help small businesses be more competitive in the American marketplace. Yet the NFIB— the nation’s leading association representing actual small businesses—wrote in the attached letter saying that the Democrats’ bill is “the wrong reform at the wrong time and will increase health care costs and the cost of doing business.” Below is an excerpt:
“When evaluating healthcare reform options, small business owners ask themselves two specific questions. First, will the bill lower insurance costs? Second, will the bill increase the overall cost of doing business? If a bill increases the cost of doing business or fails to reduce insurance costs, then the bill fails to achieve their No. 1 goal – lower costs. In both cases, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590) fails the small business test and, therefore, fails small business.”
“The most recent CBO study detailing the effect that H.R. 3590 will have on insurance premiums reinforces that, despite claims by its supporters, the bill will not deliver the widely-promised help to the small business community. Instead, CBO findings report that the bill will increase non-group premiums by 10 to 13 percent and result in, at best, a 2 percent decrease for small group coverage by 2016. These findings tell small business all it needs to know – that the current bill does not do enough to reduce costs for small business owners and their employees.”
“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is short on savings and long on costs, is the wrong reform, at the wrong time and will increase healthcare costs and the cost of doing business.”