The Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions chaired by Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) today held a hearing to explore the consequences of the president’s health care law on the five year anniversary of its enactment.
“Health care reform should have been an opportunity to preserve and build on what works with commonsense, market-based reforms that would expand access to more affordable coverage,” remarked Rep. Roe. “Instead, a costly government takeover of health care was imposed on the American people, and five years later the law continues wreaking havoc on families, businesses, and even schools. It’s hard to recall a time when supporters of a law promised so much and delivered so little.”
During the hearing, witnesses expressed continued concern with the negative impact of the law on the nation’s workplaces, including:
- Reduced Hours for Workers - [ObamaCare’s] definition of full-time employee is having an adverse impact on both employers and employees … According to [the Society for Human Resource Management] SHRM’s March research survey, 20 percent of SHRM members’ organizations have already reduced part-time hours to below 30 per week or are planning to do so in the following year to comply with the ACA. - Sally Roberts, Director of Human Resources, Morris Communications Company
- Uncertainty for Employers - For the past several years we have operated in a constant state of unknown … It seems as soon as we have some clarity on an issue, we come to realize that it was only a temporary extension or that we were guided in the wrong direction to begin with … [We] have no idea what to plan for because we don’t know what changes to legislation or regulations will bring next year or beyond. – Skip Paal, Society of American Florists
- Increased Health Care Costs - Although the [law] purports to lower health care costs for Americans, costs continue to rise for employers and employees alike. According to a recent survey, 77 percent of respondents said that their health care coverage costs increased from 2014 to 2015 … the [law’s] current coverage requirements are increasing costs and restricting employer flexibility to offer a benefits package that best meets the needs of employees. – Sally Roberts, Director of Human Resources, Morris Communications Company
- Loss of Existing Health Care Coverage - We are facing a troubling cycle in the world of employer sponsored care … Some employers will exit the system, but we believe that more will look to make serious changes in approach. These employer based changes typically include more cost-sharing components … the cost sharing then impacts the affordability of health care for employees, who will become unsatisfied with their employer sponsored care and look to Washington for answers. – Tevi Troy, President, American Health Policy Institute
“When it’s all said and done – after all the broken promises, fewer jobs, lost wages, website glitches, and cancelled health care plans – 35 million individuals will still be without health insurance,” concluded Rep. Roe. “The American people can no longer afford this costly mistake. It is time to move the country away from this government-run health care scheme and toward a more patient-centered health care system.”
To learn more about today’s hearing, read witness testimony, or to watch an archived webcast, visit www.republicans-edlabor.house.gov/hearings.
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