Manufacturing Workers to Benefit from NAM-Backed Health Care Reforms
Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy Robyn Boerstling released the following statement after the passage of H.R. 6199, the Restoring Access to Medication and Modernizing Health Savings Accounts Act of 2018, and H.R. 6311, the Increasing Access to Lower Premium Plans and Expanding Health Savings Accounts Act of 2018:
These important reforms will help make quality, affordable health care more accessible for manufacturers, manufacturing workers and all Americans, said Boerstling. Further delaying Obamacare’s onerous Health Insurance Tax will prevent unnecessary cost increases for workers and retirees, and manufacturers hope to see Congress take action in the future to fully repeal this provision. The changes contained in these bills to health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts will help lower costs and give patients added flexibility to seek and pay for the care that’s right for them. Manufacturers urge the Senate to take up these important reforms, along with the House-passed repeal of the Medical Device Tax, to provide manufacturers and manufacturing workers more certainty and relief.
The NAM announced in letters to members of the House of Representatives Wednesday morning that it would key-vote passage of H.R. 6199 and H.R. 6311.
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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.
NAM Welcomes House Repeal of Onerous Medical Device Tax
Manufacturers Continue to Press Congress to Repeal All Harmful Obamacare Taxes
Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy Robyn Boerstling released the following statement on House passage of H.R. 184, the bipartisan Protect Medical Innovation Act:
Manufacturers welcome the House’s strong, bipartisan vote to repeal Obamacare’s tax on medical devices, and we call on the Senate to act swiftly, said Boerstling. During the two years this harmful tax was in effect, tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs disappeared, innovation stalled, and the cost of certain health care treatments requiring a medical device increased needlessly.
Manufacturers need certainty to negotiate affordable, best-in-class health plans for our employees, so we are also urging Congress to fully repeal other onerous Obamacare taxes, including the health insurance tax and the so-called ‘Cadillac tax.’ These priorities also have bipartisan support, and we urge Congress to provide manufacturers this additional relief.
On Monday, the NAM announced in a letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives that it would key-vote passage of H.R. 184.
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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.
NAM Welcomes DOL Announcement on Association Health Plans
Washington, D.C. – National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy Robyn Boerstling issued the following statement on the Department of Labor’s announcement regarding association health plans (AHPs):
Lowering health care costs has long been a top priority for manufacturers. AHPs offer an important market-based pathway to expanded health care coverage and lower health care costs, and now is the time to make this option more widely available to smaller companies and their employees. We appreciate all of the efforts of the White House, the Labor Department and Congress in moving this forward. Manufacturers have a proud tradition of providing health care to employees—in fact, nearly 100 percent of our member companies do so. We will continue to be a partner along the way so that more manufacturing employees can thrive, be healthy and share in their sector’s success, said Boerstling.
In March, the NAM filed comments with the Department of Labor on AHPs, which essentially enable associations and groups to band together to provide health insurance to member employers and employees. Given the increased purchasing power and wider insurance pool that comes from banding together, AHPs often offer the potential of better care and lower costs.
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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.
ICYMI: A World Without Cures
Ahead of the President’s Announcement, a Word of Caution from Manufacturers on Government-Driven “Solutions” on Drug Prices
Excerpts from the Washington Examiner
By: NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons
May 11, 2018
“Manufacturers have long supported efforts to reduce America’s healthcare costs. And with 98 percent of manufacturers offering health benefits to their employees, we are as sensitive as anyone to the rising costs of care …
“With the Trump administration seeking ideas on how to reduce the cost of prescription drugs to consumers, we should be careful to avoid any ‘solution’ that would lead to more government intervention into our healthcare.
“In academia, the halls of Congress and state capitals, some have suggested imposing new top-down regulations or pricing rules on the companies that manufacture medicines and vaccines. Such nonmarket-based approaches sound simple and hopeful, but as is so often the case when the government applies its heavy hand, more losers than winners are likely to emerge.
“The sickest and most vulnerable Americans stand to be the hardest hit …
“Pharmaceutical manufacturers spend more on R&D than any other industry. They also put a sizeable share of their revenue back into R&D so that today’s treatments can help fund tomorrow’s cures. We are in a period of tremendous breakthroughs and medical discovery led by pharmaceutical manufacturers in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, universities and other private groups …
“Just imagine if we had never developed vaccines for smallpox, polio or tuberculosis. Picture a world with no treatments for cancer, heart disease, HIV or diabetes …
“Reducing healthcare costs requires a comprehensive approach to the various forces that strain the system. Rigid price controls or intrusive regulations in the name of ‘transparency’ will not solve the larger problem. Nor will drug importation, which could put patients at risk by exposing them to drugs that do not meet high U.S. safety standards …
“Stifling critical research and threatening America’s foundational free market principles are not the cure. The last thing we should do is sacrifice something we do well—the development of lifesaving medicines—because of good intentions gone wrong.”
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The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12 million men and women, contributes $2.25 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, has the largest economic impact of any major sector and accounts for more than three-quarters of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the Manufacturers or to follow us on Shopfloor, Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org.