BCA Health Care Reform Initiative Toolbox

Our Position: The Business Council of Alabama supports meaningful, common sense health care reform that will cure the problems that plague us now – not create new ones.

Alabama’s business community shares the goals of Congress to reduce the costs of health care and to increase the public’s access to quality health care services. However, as the voluntary providers of health care to millions of Alabamians and Americans, it is essential that businesses and industries are not negatively affected by the reforms.

Employers provide health care benefits not only because they are committed to helping their employees and their families meet their health care needs but also because it makes solid business sense. However, since 1999, employment-based health insurance premiums have risen dramatically and at a much higher cumulative rate than inflation and wage growth. If we fail to reform our health care system, rising costs will threaten the viability of businesses of all sizes and put job security and benefits at risk for millions of employees.

With a direct and very stake in the outcome of health care reform efforts, employers have led the way in seeking a higher quality, evidence-based health care system. And, as the nation seeks to implement change, the business community remains firmly committed to helping forge solutions that will address delivery system shortcomings, bring costs down and foster continuous quality improvement. We are equally committed in our opposition to proposals that will threaten already struggling businesses with increased costs, taxes, fees, mandates, and regulatory burdens.

Check back regularly for updates that we hope are helpful to you and your business.

In the News

April 27, 2010: The New York Times – Robert Pear
Inquiry Says Health Care Charges Were Proper
April 27, 2010: The Hill - Jay Heflin
Lungren seeks to repeal reporting requirement in health reform
April 27, 2010: Politico - Jennifer Haberkorn
States wary of high-risk health pools
April 27, 2010: Reuters – Lewis Krauskopf
Humana profit tops estimates, helped by Medicare
April 19, 2010: The Huntsville Times – Staff Report
IRS to notify small businesses on benefits of new health care tax credit
April 13, 2010: Boston Globe – Jamie Downey
Healthcare reform bill expands business tax reporting
April 13, 2010: Reuters – Lisa Lambert
Healthcare reform 'baton' passes to states
April 13, 2010: NPR – Mary Agnes Carey
Americans Asking: 'How Will Health Reform Help Me?'
April 4, 2010: The Birmingham News - Anna Velasco
Doctor shortage greets new health care law
March 31, 2010: The Associated Press – Steve LeBlanc
Small businesses fret over details of health law
March 30, 2010: The Associated Press – Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
Insurance industry agrees to fix kids coverage gap
March 29, 2010: The New York Times – Steven Greenhouse
Companies Push to Repeal Provision of Health Law
March 29, 2010: The Associated Press
Prudential to take $100M health care charge in 1Q
March 28, 2010: The Birmingham News – Anna Velasco
Employers brace for health law's effects
March 28, 2010: The Birmingham News – Michael Tomberlin
Health care overhaul scares small businesses in Alabama
March 26, 2010: Washington Post - Shailagh Murray
Congress approves 'fixes' to health-care law
March 26, 2010: Washington Times - CBO report
Debt will rise to 90% of GDP
March 26, 2010: New York Times – Michael Luo
Some States Find Burdens in Health Law
March 26, 2010: Wall Street Journal – Kris Maher, Ellen E. Schultz and Bob Tita
Companies Take Health-Care Charges
March 26, 2010: Associated Press – Josh Funk
Companies say health care costs hard to swallow
March 26, 2010: Wall Street Journal – Elizabeth Williamson
Companies’ Charges Prompt a Hearing
March 25, 2010: New York Times - David M. Herszenhorn and Robert Pear
Final Votes in Congress Cap Battle on Health Bill
March 25, 2010: Wall Street Journal – Sarah E. Needleman
Companies Confused by Health Legislation
March 22, 2010: Wall Street Journal 
What’s in the Bill?

Helpful Links

• H.R. 3590, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
• CBO score of the Reconciliation bill
• Responses to Questions About CBO's Preliminary Estimate of the Direct Spending and Revenue Effects of H.R. 4872, the Reconciliation Act of 2010
• Mercer Health Reform Summary
• Myth and Fact: Organizing for America Misinformation on Health Care Bill (U.S. Chamber of Commerce)
• Comparison of H.R. 3590, H.R. 4872, and last year's House-passed bill (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Health Reform Implementation Timeline (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Health Care Bill Will Hurt Small Businesses (U.S. Chamber)
• Health Care Reform Bill Insurance Market Provisions Timeline (as revised by the House Reconciliation Bill)*
• Tax provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Deloitte)
• Grant Thornton Tax Legislative Update 
• **Updated** Health Care Implementation Timeline (U.S. Chamber)
• Aftermath: New Realities for Businesses in the Wake of the Health Care Law (U.S. Chamber)
• The Five Keys to Health Reform's Success or Failure - Will it work? And how will it work? A guide to what the new law will mean for costs, Medicare, doctors, the states — and you (Time Magazine)