Today is the last day that individuals and businesses concerned about health care can provide feedback to Congress on health care reform proposals on the fast track for adoption by Congress and have their opinion included in the official hearing record of the May 12, 2009 Senate Finance Committee Hearing on “Financing Comprehensive Health Care Reform.” Start speaking up today and keep speaking out until you are heard.
Senate health care reform leaders have announced their intention to have the Senate vote and pass health care reform legislation that would drastically change the U.S. health care and health insurance system during June. Individuals and businesses concerned about Congressional proposals to private health benefits with federal government benefits, to tax individuals and businesses on health benefits, and to make other radical changes in our health care programs should e-mail their concerns to Congress today. Recent statements by Congressional leaders and President Obama indicate that the intend to act quickly to pass major health care reforms within the next few months, beginning with action by the Senate in June.
The Senate Finance Committee discussed the proposed changes during a “Roundtable Discussion” hearing on May 12, 2009. Among the changes that this hearing reflects to be under serious consideration by Congress are proposals:
- To tax individuals on health benefits and/or coverage
- Reduce or eliminate employer tax benefits for providing health coverage
- Mandate individuals and/or employees pay government mandated health insurance premiums
- Replace existing employer and private health insurance programs with government run or mandated benefit programs
- Involve the federal government in deciding who and when Americans get care
- Establish other burdensome federal requirements and regulations on health benefits and health care providers.
You can review or listen to the testimony and learn more about what Congress plans to do to your and your employees’ health benefits here.
If you or others that you know are concerned about all or any of these proposals, we urge you to share your feedback TODAY as follows and staying involved as Congress moves to act:
- E-mail the Health Care Reform Leadership of the Senate Finance Committee at Health_reform@finance_dem.senate.gov
- E-mail each member of the Senate Finance Committee at http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/committee.htm
- Call (202) 224-4515 and share your views with Congressional Staffers Erin Shields (Baucus) and Jill Gerber (Grassley), Committee on Finance, 219 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510-6200
- Tell your Senators and Representatives you oppose Congressional plans to fast track health care reform the way Congress enacted the Stimulus Bill
- Tell your Senators and Representatives you will support members of Congress who vote responsibly on health care reform
- Tell your Senators and Representatives in Congress and political party leaders you will work to defeat members and candidates that advocate these and other irresponsible health care reform legisltation
- Carry through on your promises
- Keep speaking out until you are heard and Congress gets the message.
Cynthia Marcotte Stamer is an attorney, author and health care advocate known for her work and writings nationally and internationally on health care and coverage policy and legal matters . If your organization needs assistance with assessing, managing or communicating its concerns about this legislation or other health care and insurance, employment or employee benefit practices, please contact Ms. Stamer at cstamer@cttlegal.com, (214) 270-2402; or your favorite Curran Tomko Tarski, LLP attorney. For additional information about the experience and services of Ms. Stamer and other members of the Curran Tomko Tarksi, LLP team, see the http://www.cttlegal.com.
Other Information & Resources
Cynthia Marcotte Stamer and other members of Curran Tomko and Tarski LLP are experienced with advising and assisting employers with these and other labor and employment, employee benefit, compensation, and internal controls matters. If your organization needs assistance with assessing, managing or defending its wage and hour or other labor and employment, compensation or benefit practices, please contact Ms. Stamer at e-mail, (214) 270-2402; or your favorite Curran Tomko Tarski, LLP attorney. For additional information about the experience and services of Ms. Stamer and other members of the Curran Tomko Tarksi, LLP team, see the Curran Tomko Tarski Website or Cynthia Marcotte Stamer, P.C. Website.
We hope that this information is useful to you. You can register to receive future updates and information about upcoming programs, access other publications by Ms. Stamer and access other helpful resources at CynthiaStamer.com For additional information about Ms. Stamer and her experience, see here or contact Ms. Stamer directly. If you or someone else you know would like to receive updates about developments on these and other human resources and employee benefits concerns, please be sure that we have your Currant contact information – including your preferred e-mail- by creating or updating your profile at CynthiaStamer.com. If you would prefer not to receive these updates, please send a reply e-mail with “Remove” in the subject line to support@SolutionsLawyer.net. You also can register to participate in the distribution of these updates by registering to participate in the Solutions Law Press HR & Benefits Update Blog here. For important information concerning this communication click here. If you do not wish to receive these updates in the future, send an e-mail with the word “Remove” in the Subject to support@SolutionsLawyer.net.
©2009 Cynthia Marcotte Stamer. Permission to forward with attribution granted to concerned parties. All other rights reserved.
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