Engineering Inc. - July/August 2003 - 11

Rep. John Boehner center , ACEC Chairman Eric Flicker right and ACEC
President Dave Raymond, outside Boehner's committee chambers. s m a l l
employers who lack the ability to provide health benefits for their
workers. Small businesses and their workers should have the same access to
quality health insurance that their counterparts in large corporations and
unions already enjoy. By pooling their resources t h r o u g h Association
Health P l a n s , small businesses could increase their bargaining power
with benefit providers, which in turn will allow them to negotiate better
rates and purchase quality healthcare for their workers at a l ow e r
cost. AHPs would help level the playing field and signifi- cantly expand
access to health coverage. I've worked on this issue since I got here.
It's the most common sense thing in the world. I keep a s k i n g myself,
`Why hasn't it realistic approach for attempt- We believe that, in and of
t u r e d , the kind of work they passed?' It passed in the House a i n g
to make changes to the itself, would be a tremendous do, and how they do
it. number of times. But if you're FLSA. a c h i e ve m e n t . FLICKER: A
s s o c i a t i o n Health an insurer in a state, you don't FLICKER: What
will the unions BOEHNER: Clarity is like beauty; . want your state pool
disrupted. P l a n AHP legislation is do? it's in the eye of the beholder.
Also, to the extent that we can a n o t h e r issue that is strongly W h a
t surprises me, or never get more of the uninsured cov- s u p p o r t e d
by ACEC and its B O E H N E R : T h e y 'r e going to ceases to surprise
me as a Mem- e r e d , we will be able to help member firms. You have been
a whine, moan and scream. Con- b e r of Congress, is just how reduce the
rate of growth of cost leader in advancing this legisla- sider, for
example, the situation d i v e r s e America is. The real in healthcare,
and have a fairer tion, which will give businesses, of inside sales
people. Many of problems in a federal law arise system. Those are the two
big particularly smaller firms, access them actually report to someone w h
e n it's a one-size-fits-all goals. to affordable health insurance. i n s i
d e . Yet, they are hourly approach for the whole coun- Can you discuss the
benefits of F L I C K E R : So will we see AHP employees and are required
to try. I've been in virtually every AHPs, and what the outlook is
legislation signed into law this be paid overtime, even though
congressional district in Amer- for this important legislation? year? s o
m e of them make over i c a and it's a very different BOEHNER: With
healthcare costs $100,000 a year. This is an out- country as you move
around it. BOEHNER: With more than 160 continuing to rise sharply across
dated federal law that needs to Ev e n though [the Congress] b i p a r t i
s a n co-sponsors in the t h e country, more and more be dealt with. will
attempt to bring clarity [to H o u s e a n d the backing of employers and
workers are shar- the FLSA], it will take a labor RAYMOND: How important
is President Bush and Labor Secre- ing the burden of increased pre- l a w
y e r to read it and explain it to bring clarity to the regula- t a r y
Chao we have a great miums. Many of the 41 million how it fits your
workplace. You tions so that the private sector opportunity this year to
advance uninsured Americans 60 per- just have to look at your mem- can
understand how it should the issue. After we pass the bill c e n t or more
by some esti- bers to see they're as diverse as r e s p o n d to federal
law? t h r o u g h the House, we'll be mates work for or depend on A to Z
in how they're struc- AHPs would help level the playing field and
significantly expand access to health coverage. Congressman John Boehner l
August 2003 ENGINEERING INC. 1 1 July
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