U.S. Chamber Calls Patients' Bill of Rights a 'Bill-of-Goods'

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The United States Chamber of Commerce criticized the Senate health care reform bill sponsored by McCain/Kennedy/Edwards as a 'bill-of-goods' being forced on employers who offer health care coverage to their workers.

"Injecting lawyers further into the health care coverage system is a prescription for disaster," said Randel Johnson, Chamber vice president for labor policy and employee benefits. "Lawsuits will inevitably accelerate the already rising cost of health care coverage - much of which likely will be passed onto workers - and does nothing to help the 43 million Americans without even basic coverage."

Employer-based groups make up almost 90 percent of the private health insurance market and provide coverage to more than 172 million workers, retirees and their families, according to the Chamber. Health care cost and coverage solutions should aim to preserve and strengthen the employer-based system, not attack it.

The business community has warned lawmakers on Capitol Hill that Americans need better access to health care, not legislation that could potentially force employers to pull the plug on coverage for their workers. The threat of lawsuits in the bills currently under debate would increase the cost of employer-based coverage just as businesses are wrestling with a slowing economy and potential layoffs.

"Americans need more access to doctors, not lawyers," said Johnson. "Opening the door to more health care litigation only invites more out-of-control lawsuits and staggering prices at a time of near-record health care cost inflation."

Under McCain/Kennedy/Edwards, trial lawyers could file claims in both federal and state courts for causes of action stemming from the same incident, seeking unlimited compensatory damages from jury trials and additional "civil assessments" (in effect, punitive damages) of up to $5 million for the plaintiff.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing more than three million businesses and organizations of every size, sector and region.

# # #

01-118