Affordable Care Act Ruling Isn’t the End of Efforts to Lower Health Care Costs

CONGRESS SHOULD ACT TO REPLACE HEALTH CARE LAW WITH MORE EFFICIENT, LESS COSTLY REFORMS

Contact:
Matthew Lavoie ((202 637-3085)

WASHINGTON, D.C., 06/28/12 -  National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President and CEO Jay Timmons issued this statement today following the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act:

“Since the beginning of the health care debate, manufacturers have consistently made it clear that lowering costs should be the central focus of any health care reform effort. Ninety-seven percent of manufacturers offer generous health benefits to their employees, and skyrocketing health care costs represent the single biggest obstacle for them continuing to do so. It is clear that the Affordable Care Act did not address this issue and, in fact, will make matters worse. Today’s ruling, although a dramatic moment in our nation’s history, still leaves a lot of work to be done to reduce soaring health care costs.

Time and again, manufacturers have sought to reduce the cost of health care. Escalating health care costs are job killers, forcing manufacturers to pay more in premiums rather than investing in their business and creating jobs. From the day it was passed, the Affordable Care Act did nothing to bring down health care costs, and it is essential that Congress repeal the law and replace it with reform that benefits manufacturers and their employees.

We will continue to push Congress to implement legal liability reform, enhance competition by allowing insurance to be purchased across state lines and increase the focus on preventive medicine—actions that would address the high health care costs that harm manufacturers across the United States. Washington must work for manufacturing to ensure that health care costs aren’t a roadblock for job creation and economic growth.”