Health Care Reform

The Californians for Affordable Health Reform (CAHR) agrees with the assessment in your June 28 article “Lobbyists Wrangle Over Cost of Health Care Reforms” that the myriad health care bills currently making their way through the state Legislature could impact the availability of quality, affordable health insurance for California employees.

The cumulative cost of these bills will substantially increase premium costs, which in turn will increase the number of uninsured working Californians.

CAHR, the representative coalition for employers on health care issues in the state, is urging members of the California Legislature to consider the aggregate cost of the dozens of managed care reform measures before them. As deserving as any individual piece of legislation may be, these bills do not come free of charge. Unfortunately, managed care companies will not absorb these costs. They will be passed on to employers who will either pass the cost onto their employees, or eliminate their health benefit options altogether.

California already has the highest number of working uninsured in the country. By trying to improve health care, the Legislature should be careful that it doesn’t inadvertently eliminate health benefits for hundreds of thousands of working Californians.

JEANNE CAIN

Chair

Californians for Affordable Health Reform

Sacramento