Insurance Groups Urge Slowing Down Health Reform

WASHINGTON, April 22, 2009 — The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA), AHIA – NAIFA Health & Employee Benefits (AHIA), The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB), National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) today joined forces in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to oppose efforts to include health care reform in the budget reconciliation instructions.

The organizations represent health insurance advisors, agents, brokers, consultants and employee benefit specialists.

Each year when Congress writes the budget resolution, they may include reconciliation instructions for the purpose of legislating mandatory spending and tax revenue policy proposals. Under normal Senate operating procedures, it takes 60 votes to prevent a filibuster and pass legislation. With reconciliation, it only takes 51 votes to gain passage of a measure.

The letter follows.

April 22, 2009

The Honorable Kent Conrad
Chairman, Senate Budget Committee
The Honorable Judd Gregg
Ranking Member, Senate Budget Committee

The Honorable John Spratt
Ranking Member, House Budget Committee
Chairman, House Budget Committee
 The Honorable Paul Ryan

Dear Chairmen Conrad and Spratt and Ranking Members Gregg and Ryan:

We, the undersigned organizations, representing health insurance advisors, agents, brokers, consultants and employee benefit specialists, are writing to strongly urge you to exclude health care reform from the budget reconciliation instructions.  An issue of this magnitude deserves its due consideration under regular order.

We applaud Congress and the Administration for making health care reform a top priority this year and agree that this legislation must be a bipartisan product with consultation and cooperation from the American public as well as stakeholders representing all sides.  However, we fear the spirit of bipartisan cooperation will be lost if regular order is put aside and the reconciliation process is utilized to fast track health care reform legislation.  The future of the nation’s health care system deserves nothing less than an open, bipartisan and transparent debate by Congress.

As you begin deliberations in the conference committee, we hope you will support the Senate position and oppose any effort to inject health care reform into the budget reconciliation instructions.
Thank you for your attention and consideration to this very important issue.

Sincerely,

AHIA – NAIFA Health & Employee Benefits (AHIA)
The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB)
Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA)
National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU)
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA)

CC:    United States Senate
United States House of Representatives
The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius
The Honorable Nancy Ann DeParle
The Honorable Peter Orszag