Federal Health Care Reform

Employer-sponsored coverage has been the backbone of our nation’s health system for nearly eight decades. Today, over 183 million Americans receive their health care coverage from employers. Employers have a vested interest in health care quality, value, and system viability, and have been on the leading edge of health delivery innovation for decades. Employers are in a unique position to serve as advocates to assist in access to critical benefits for employees and their families.

HR Policy Association and the Institute believe federal health care reform should adhere to the following five principles:

Expand access to coverage and care: All Americans should have access to affordable choices for high quality health care. Reforms should focus on improving access and reducing the cost of coverage and necessary care, including prescription drugs.

Preserve employer-sponsored health coverage: Reforms should strengthen employer-sponsored health coverage so that companies are encouraged to continue to provide it to their employees. A number of reform proposals would weaken employer coverage and drive-up costs.

Foster innovation: Employers and the health care supply chain should have the flexibility to design and implement health care benefit solutions, payment models, and information exchanges to ensure the best health outcomes through evidence-based treatments and reduced waste. Federal policies should leverage and encourage this innovation by reducing unnecessary and costly mandates and restrictions.

Increase transparency: Reforms should enable employees to be prudent consumers of health care by fostering patient and employer access to appropriate health care value, price and quality data while protecting individual privacy and security. Common data definitions and standards are required to allow consistent evaluation of value across the healthcare ecosystem.

Drive quality improvement: All stakeholders – employers, providers, insurers, intermediaries, individuals, and government – should work towards a common set of quality measures to improve the health of consumers and ensure Americans receive appropriate, high-quality care.

The Association and Institute have advocated for a variety of health care reforms. This includes repealing the ACA Cadillac tax, increasing transparency, improving access to mental health care, ending surprise medical bills, reducing drug costs and simplifying Affordable Care Act (ACA) reporting requirements.

Discover federal health care policy news, including the latest on ACA requirements: