DRAFT LETTER TO SENATOR
September XX, 2009
The Honorable ____________
United States Senate
Washington DC 20510
Dear Senator ____________:
The (insert chamber name), representing X,XXX business members in your state who provide quality,
affordable health insurance to XXXXX employees, support comprehensive healthcare reforms that will
rein in the cost of healthcare, improve quality and expand access.
We are very concerned about two provisions under consideration by the Senate Finance Committee. We
strongly oppose creating a government-run public health insurance plan no matter how it is structured.
Adding a “trigger” to the legislation would still create an entity that would be an unfair competitor and
have the disastrous effect of exacerbating cost-shifting to the private sector and dismantling the employer-
based system.
Additionally, we encourage you to drop new insurer fees and limit excise taxes. The wide assortment of
new taxes on medical devices, clinical labs, pharmaceuticals and insurance policies will be passed
directly on the purchasers of health insurance, increasing costs for employers and workers and threatening
the affordability of insurance. The excise tax on high-value benefits is also problematic. Because it is
indexed to the Consumer Price Index, it will only take a short time for the average-priced family policy to
trigger the excise tax.
Instead, we encourage the Senate to reform the insurance market and find ways to control costs. Without
serious steps to decrease health care spending, any health reform plan will fail.
We strongly urge you to oppose any legislation that includes a government-run, public health care plan or
that creates new fees and taxes that cause an undue burden on employers and employees.
Sincerely,
President & CEO