the affordable care act presented by marco giamberardino executive director neca government affairs...
TRANSCRIPT
The Affordable Care ActPresented by
Marco GiamberardinoExecutive Director
NECA Government AffairsOctober 14, 2013
Protecting Your InterestsThe Challenge: Legislators and Regulators are
making decisions each and every day that are impacting electrical contractors at the National and/or state level:• How to get our sector back to work?• Can NECA Contractors stay competitive?• How can we protect Taft-Hartley Health Plans?• Will Congress make any changes to our plans?• How much will more will health care cost?
$64,000 Question: How will ObamaCare impact NECA contractors nationwide?
The Affordable Care ActA Historic Milestone•ACA was sold on three general principles:
• Make Health Care “Affordable”• Universal Health Care for All• Guaranteed Choice
The Art of the Deal: WH Promises to Core Supporters•Labor collectively one of the strongest supporters of ACA
• Taft-Hartley Plans would be taken care of• Technical Corrections Package Promised
Ad Hoc Legislating: A Case Study
Legislation Was Poorly Crafted:•Left to Congress to Cull Together• Senate 1st Draft is What
Ultimately Passed• “Real” House Draft Never
Got Considered• No Technical
Corrections
ACA Reality CheckThe ACA Cannot Be Repealed:•Supreme Court Affirmation of ACA
•President Obama was re-elected•Democrats retained control of the Senate
ACA Reality CheckReality Sets In: The Facts Are Revealed:•Administration unveils ACA rules
• 3 days after the 2012 election•Growing concerns over impact •Labor support publicly wanes•Congressional Dems publicly grow concerned•Administration announces delays & problems•Congress held new series of hearings on mandates, escalating costs, exchanges, implementation•Shutdown Showdown:• Ping-Pong game over “defunding”, delay, shutdown
ACA Broken PromisesWhite House-Labor Talks•House repealed/modified ACA 43+ times since 2011•Labor met with the WH more than 43 times since enactment of the ACA•Friday the 13th: President Obama tells Labor “NO”
• Multiemployer Plans will not be Qualified Health Plans• No tax subsidies for Taft-Hartleys for employer-provided health
coverage• Multiemployer Plans hit with $63 per person reinsurance fee• No alternative solutions for Multiemployer Plans
Labor’s Argument: •Our plans serve a different purpose, different workforce, than traditional plans, and deserve waiver•Would make the plans extremely, even uniquely, attractive to employers
Where We Are Going…NECA Leading the Industry:•Questions Answered: NECA Documents
• ACA FAQs• Recorded NECA ACA Webinars• NECA ACA Issue Policy paper
The Prescription for Rewriting the ACA Has Begun:•Meetings held with EVERY Senate Democrat and most Senate Republicans since July•Many meetings held with most House leaders
Reform and Repair the ACA• Repeal Transitional Insurance Fee• Repeal the “Cadillac Tax”• New insurance market rules must be repealed to
combat “Rate Shock”• Free-Rider Penalty for Large Employers Must Be
Addressed• Repeal Restrictions on Health Savings Accounts
and Flexible Spending Accounts• Enact Medical Malpractice Reform• Enact Medicaid Reform
Conclusions• Elections and Subsequent Policy
Decisions have Major Consequences for the Industry
• The Industry Needs to Participate in the Process
• NECA is Working to Protect Your Interests
Thank You for Your Support!
NECA Government Affairs
Marco GiamberardinoExecutive Director
NECA Government Affairs [email protected]
(301) 215-4522