At a time when healthcare costs seem to by skyrocketing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently vetoed $300,000 appropriated for the, “creation of an Health Care Quality and Cost Containment Commission.” The appropriation was vetoed as part of package of 75 vetoes aimed at eliminating programs or groups that are more than seven years old and received no state funding during that time.
No money had been distributed during the last seven years because legislators never filled all 13 seats on the council, according to the Empire Center. The commission would have examined costs and benefits associated with health insurance mandates before becoming law.
The current legislature has 92 pending proposals that deal with health care mandates in some way. These proposals deal with everything from in vitro fertilization for women to new screening techniques. These mandates might seem harmless, but a 2003 study commissioned by the Employer Alliance for Affordable Health Care found that the mandates in effect at that time, “added 12.2 percent to the cost of insurance,” according to the Empire Center.
New York health insurance premiums are some of the highest in the country, and the amount of mandates could help explain why.
High insurance rates continue to be a key issue for NFIB, as president and CEO Juanita Duggan made clear in her statement on the passing of the Affordable Health Care Act.
Passage of the American Health Care Act is a crucial first step toward health-care reform that works for small business,” said Duggan. “It repeals many of the Obamacare taxes, repeals the mandates, and clears the way for additional reforms to make health care affordable, flexible, and predictable.”
