Reaction among Baltimore-area stakeholders mixed to health care reform proposal - Baltimore Business Journal:

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But reactions from Marylans business groups, employers and health care providerswere divided. The $1.5 trilliomn House bill costs too much, puts too much contro in the hands of the federal and would ultimately lead to rationing healtbhcare services, critics Proponents say the bill will help the nation’e 50 million uninsured receive health care coverager while the bill’s proposal to offer a government-sponsore health insurance plan would offer more choicesd to small businesses shopping for health The House aims to pay for the plan by taxing individual s and lowering Medicare and Medicaid paymenft to medical providers.
The House bill woulfd also provide health insurance subsidies for up to 400 percent of whichis $88,000 for a family of four. Companiesw with more than 25 employees wouldd have to provide health coverage or pay 8 perceny of their payroll asa penalty. “We’ve consistently opposed any pay-or-play provision,” said Ronald Wineholt, chiev lobbyist for the . The chamber has been a vocal opponen t of theMaryland Citizens’ Health Initiative plan, which proposed a 2 percent payrolkl tax on businesses to pay its plan for insuring 800,00 Maryland residents.
Mandating health coverage would put a huge burden on some smalll businesses that are already struggling during the Winehold said. He’s also concerned that the House bill does not offee any proposals on how to curb the risingt cost ofhealth care. “The bill is long on spendinyg and short on cost he said. Lowering payments to Medicaid and Medicare wouls hurt not only hospitals but vendor s who do businesswith them, said Archie M. president of in Glen Burnie. “The last thinvg we need to do is slow down Barrett said. “It’ll put everyone in a financial crisis.
” Barrettt fears that if hospitals don’tr get paid in a timely manner, neither will he sincde his environmental consulting firm serves many hospital Inhis view, employers have a responsibility to offer health insurance and can only retain the best employees if they do so. But Barrett said he favors a government-run health insurance “Somebody has to give insurancecompanies competition,” he “Our insurance rates are skyrocketing.” Barrety is hopeful that, with a government plan, insurerzs can’t just charge whatever they want. He currently pays $6,000 a month on healtuh premiums for his12 employees.
Some fear that the government-rumn plan, which would be run similarly to would lower choiceand quality, not improvde it. Given the high tab of the health the only way the government will be able to cut costsz is by rationing health particularly forthe elderly, said Dr. Ronal Sroka, president of state medical societ MedChi: “People will be waiting in line to gettheit MRIs.” Private health insurers woule not be able to compete with a publicx health plan, said Rodger CEO of Towson’s Client First Brokerager Services Inc. A government-run plan that gets its monegy from taxpayers would not care aboutofferinv innovation, such as investingv in new technologies.
Bayne, who believees individuals should gethealth insurance, said he thinks the Housse bill would not really encourage individuals to get By imposing just a 2.5 percent penalty on individuals who do not get healthb insurance, many people will forego health insurancwe if the penalty costs less than the healthg insurance premiums. But Vincent DeMarco, presiden of the Maryland Citizens’ Healtn Initiative, said he favors the Housre bill because it requires all parties including individuals, health care providers, businesses and insurerds — to do their fair sharr to overhaul health care.
Though the pricer tag may be high initially, in the long run it can save money by lowering healthcare costs, he