Rep. Phil Gingrey Fear-Mongers About Health Care Reform

Businesses Already Struggle To Provide Workers With Benefits

Rep. Gingrey: "Estimates from independent actuaries at the Lewin Group suggest that well over half of all Americans currently with employer-sponsored health coverage-nearly 120 million individuals-would lose their current coverage due to the creation of a government-run health plan. And the change in coverage would not be a 'choice'-according to Lewin studies, employers would drop their plan options, dumping employees into the government-run health plan to save money." [Phil Gingrey, M.D. op-ed, US News & World Report, 5/21/09]

Small Businesses Often Lack The Ability To Provide Health Care For Their Workers

"Administrative Costs Make It Inefficient For Insurers To Sell Coverage To Small Employers."  Dr. Linda Blumberg of the Urban Institute gave the following testimony to the House Committee on Small Business: "Fixed administrative costs make it inefficient for insurers to sell coverage to small employers. The per-person price of buying insurance for a small group of individuals will always be higher than buying those same benefits for a large group." [Urban Institute, 9/18/08]

Small Businesses "Are Especially Vulnerable To The Weaknesses" Of The Health Care System.  According to National Federation of Independent Business, "our current system of health insurance and health care is financially unsustainable and threatens the health and financial security of the American people. Small business owners and their employees are especially vulnerable to the weaknesses of our current system." [NFIB.com, accessed 3/18/09]

"Rising Premiums Have Prompted More Than Half Of Small Businesses To Reduce Benefits."  The New York Times reported: "Surveys suggest that rising premiums have prompted more than half of small businesses to reduce benefits, raise deductibles or require workers to shoulder a larger share of an ever more expensive pie. Workers in firms with fewer than 25 workers are now twice as likely to be uninsured as those in larger firms, according to the Employee Benefits Research Institute. For those small-business employees who do have insurance, the share with high deductibles has more than doubled in the last two years." [New York Times, 2/2/09]

Additionally, President Obama's Plan Will Help Small Businesses

The Obama Plan Will Cut Health Care Costs In Half For Small Businesses.  The Atlanta Tribune reported: "Kenneth Thorpe, Woodruff professor and chair of the health policy and management department at Emory University, says it is unfortunate that the main drivers of the economy will feel the brunt of these increases. 'It's tougher on small businesses because they just don't have the [employees] to absorb the cost [of health care coverage],' says Thorpe...'The proposed Obama plan for small businesses will pay 50 percent of the cost the employer would pay for health care right now, then it would be picked up as a refundable tax credit and that's a huge benefit to small businesses,' he explains." [The Atlanta Tribune, December 2008/January 2009, brackets original]

While Preaching About Republicans' Wish To Include Everyone, Gingrey Forgets That Obama Has Already Made The Effort To Cover More Americans

Rep. Gingrey: "Republicans believe that a government-run health plan that doesn't guarantee access to care...isn't real coverage at all. That's why House Republicans have formed a working group, on which I sit, to develop solutions that will expand access to affordable, quality healthcare. Our working group's proposals will keep doctors and patients, not government bureaucrats, at the center of healthcare." [Phil Gingrey, M.D. op-ed, US News & World Report, 5/21/09]

President Obama And Congress Have ALREADY Made Headway In Making Coverage Available For More Americans

President Obama Signed Bill "Providing Coverage To 11 Million Children."  MSNBC reported: "Ending a two-year effort by Democrats, Obama signed legislation Wednesday that will allow about 7 million children to continue coverage through the State Children's Health Insurance Program and allow an additional 4 million to sign up. 'The way I see it, providing coverage to 11 million children through CHIP is a down payment on my commitment to cover every single American,' Obama said at a White House bill-signing ceremony." [MSNBC, 2/5/09]

President Obama Signed Bill Allowing More Affordable COBRA Coverage After Layoffs.  According to BusinessInsurance.com: "Employees who lose their jobs will be entitled to generous federal subsidies of their COBRA health insurance premiums under an economic stimulus bill signed into law Tuesday by President Barack Obama at a ceremony in Denver. The federal government will pay 65% of COBRA premiums for employees who are laid off from Sept. 1, 2008, through Dec. 31, 2009. The subsidy will extend for nine months. However, individuals with an annual adjusted gross income of more than $125,000 and couples with an adjusted gross income of more than $250,000 will not be eligible for the subsidy." [BusinessInsurance.com, 2/17/09]