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Florida Business Groups On Health Care Fight: It Ain’t Over
June 29, 2012
Business groups and health care providers were quick to express concern and outright disappointment Thursday as the U.S. Supreme Court upheld major portions of the federal health care package, known by opponents as “Obamacare.”
Following the court’s 5-4 decision upholding a federal mandate on insurance coverage, business interests critical of the health care reform said the battle will now turn from the judiciary to the political arena.
“The court’s decision today is a loss for American competitiveness,” said Mark Wilson, president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.”So from a worldwide perspective, it just got more expensive to do business in the United States. We will do whatever we have to over the next several years to undo these expensive mandates on small business.”
Florida business groups had led the charge against the federal Affordable Care Act, calling it a mandate that will fall on the shoulders of businesses still struggling to recover and facing more competition from the Internet, nearby states and foreign suppliers. The National Federation of Independent Business was a plaintiff in the case, along with Florida and 25 other states.
Many also bristled that court’s opinion reinforces criticism that the initiative, despite backers’ claims, represents yet another tax.
“Florida hoteliers and restaurateurs are faced with a myriad of taxes and regulations to sustain their business,” said Carol Dover, president of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “This additional tax on health care services is the wrong decision at the wrong time.”
The high court’s decision to give states some say in whether they will participate in one part of the law requiring an expansion of Medicaid brought some solace, with some business groups saying attentions can now return to crafting health care legislation to improve access without putting businesses at risk. Much of that discussion has been muzzled as all sides waited for the court’s decision.
“We got into this case so we could stop what we thought was an ill-advised approach to health care reform,” said Bill Herrle, executive director of NFIB/Florida. “Now that the Supreme Court opinion is in, we remain where we have been always, advocates for market-based reform and opponents of the mandate.
“The good news out of this ruling is that that now we can get back to the work of making public policy,” Herrle said.
The nearly 200 page ruling, with its myriad concurring opinions, dissents and shifting support, will become fodder for legislatures around the country as individual states wrangle with an evolving set of requirements and inevitable challenges.
“Today’s decision left unresolved many critical questions about the legal and regulatory frameworks for the future of health care in Florida,” said Tom Feeney, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Florida.”Now more than ever, Florida needs the smartest and most capable policy minds preparing for our state’s health care future.” AIF recently announced it would undertake a major health care effort in the upcoming legislative year.
The focus now turns to the how the federal law will be put in place.
“It’s going to be weeks, maybe months, before people really understand the implications of what the court did today,” Wilson said. “I’m not talking about the legal implications, but the implications of how does this actually work on Main Street.
By The News Service of Florida
Comments
18 Responses to “Florida Business Groups On Health Care Fight: It Ain’t Over”
We really wanted to move to Florida and have been reading a lot lately on the state of Florida’s healthcare system, which ranks near the bottom of the 50 states in all areas from access, preventative care and even elder care. I really cannot understand the stance of the republicans, your governor and the business owners against the Affordable Healthcare Act. In MA we’ve had Romneycare for years – everyone is required to have health insurance. This was passed by republicans, a doctrine they held to until Obama got it through, then they were against it because it was not a win in their column. Now they want vouchers which cost taxpayers – especially the elderly – a lot more and will not keep pace with rising medical costs. MA ranks 7th in healthcare and even in this economy businesses are doing better, unemployment which is still high is still lower than most other states.
Ok big deal it’s a penalty “tax” for the 1 percent that choose not to buy the required policy. Just think if your one of those greedy business owners with less than 500 employees you don’t have to offer health care insurance but if you do you get a tax break. Also all you retired military , US government workers you don’t loose your health care insurance that all the rest of us pay for you that has to buy there own insurance. Just think all those county, city, state, national guard, sherriff and police don’t losse ther insurance that we pay for and have to buy our own also. Just think all the house and senate insurance we pay for they dont loose. Isn’t this a great country that out of this whole thing with healthcare we can fight over is the word “tax” isn’t that great. I’m sure glad that I can help all those previous listed and buy my own health care insurance and complain about the word “tax”.
Cost will rise on those making 120,000. or less, WOW, Mr President, the Surperme Court has ruled , it only survives as a TAX!!!!!!!!!!! SO will you please explain to us again, HOW IT IS NOT A TAX???????????
Alma show us the math or is this whining esoterica. Show us if you don’t buy healthcare that it going cost billions or is it going to cost you a pentatily.
Jane if everyone has to buy insurance there is no way insurance cost would go up. It could go up if insurance companies rate you by age like it is now. Also there is nothing in the bill from stopping necessary surgerys. There’s never been 60 Percent against health care law you’ve been watching and listening to the wrong people. Instead of crying about the bill read it!!!!
Barack your spreading more hysteria by making comments “Socialized health care” there’s nothing in the bill to substantiate that comment.
It’s simple all of us get sick we all need health care and we all should pay.
you could take every dime every billionaire in the country has , and it wouldn’t be a drop in the bucket. do the math.
Nothing is free. This will raise the cost of health care for the average citizen and it is a job killer. There are some good issues in the bill…no pre-existing conditions, kids on their parents insurance, etc. But it puts a panel on everyone who needs health care that decides if they get it or not, Wait until you need surgery and they say “no”. This panel is not qualified to decide…they are not doctors and you have no say in it. It was passed against 60% of the Americans who were against it…they refued to even tell us what was in the bill!!! Transperancy??? Please!
Socialized health care would be the best thing to happen to Americans and I would vote in ANYBODY who would implement it.
But it has to be modeled on one of the countries that are doing it SUCCESSFULLY (and there are several).
Citing Russia as an example of how bad socialized healthcare is, is about as clever as citing the Pinto as an example of how bad Ford Motors is.
It’s amazinging that all against health care think a flip flopper like Romeny can leed them out of there issue with health care. They couldn’t get behind McCane and he wanted to cut ss and mc benifits. I think the biggest issue is allowing senate and house to have unlimited terms. I believe they should be limited to a max 4 year term. This would eliminate most of there pet projects and stop there tunnel vision attitude light Boneer (ha,ha), McCane and McConnel.
If business won’t have to offer or provide health insurance and all are required to obtain health insurance why is the “Florida Business Groups On Health Care Fight: vowing It Ain’t Over”. This seems to eleminate business owners from all the issues related to health care employee issues.
I have read recently with some amusement, that Chief Justice Roberts is President Obama’s newest good friend. Yes he crossed the usual party affiliation line in the SCOUS but why? To secure a legacy as being a true believer in and advocate for blind justice? Maybe. But here’s a thought. Chief Justice Roberts has helped galvanize, motivate and shaken up the republican party. If he did it on purpose he did a great job. Seeming to show what is in one hand while hiding the truth of what he actually held in the other. By using certain terminology he accepted the constitutionality of the law while giving arrows to sling at the very law itself. Using the word tax instead of penalty darn sure got people fired up. Questioning the wisdom of the law and saying people should not come running to the Supreme Court if they didn’t like the decisions elected politicians make, shear genius. You can bet more republican voters will be out this next election and more than just a few, in large part, thanks to Chief Justice Roberts.
Maby my verbiage wasn’t correct enough about companies providing insurance. I could imagine that if a company offered health insurance. I would imagine it would have to be offered to every employee. If companies opt out of offering or stop offering insurance and employees are happy with what they have it just proves how greedy businesses owners are.
We have but one choice, every hard working american needs to cast their vote for Romney since he has promised to repeal the whole matter. If this takes effect it will have made the last step toward socialized medicine. People that are raving and ranting, needs to call someone in Russia and see how well that country has thrived on socialized health care. The Drs. have gone away to a country where they can practice without govt intervention leaving only a few hap-hazard that could care less.
I applaud President Obama for his effort to at least do something as far as healthcare goes. What would really be beneficial to everyone is curbing the cost of healthcare in this country. The COST is ridiculous! There are so many people who do not get medical attention simply because they do not have health coverage and cannot afford the high cost of medical care. And as far as the government taxing us to death, the burden wouldn’t fall so hard on the working middle class if the wealthy would pay their fair share of taxes, which Republicans do not seem to have a problem with. Sometimes I think party affiliations are hindering this country more than anything else. I wish this country would do away with party lines because most times I think that is the only reason people tend to disagree on certain issues. Because my party didn’t come up with the idea (whatever it may be), even though it may be just the thing that is needed for this country, I will not “support” it. That kind of thinking is what has this country doomed.
Bobby, what makes you think companies will be required to pay for insurance now? I didn’t read that in the bill at all. YOU AND II will be required to buy insurance, but companies DO NOT have to provide it for you. You can bet that more and more of them won’t either, since they know you are going to have to find it on your own now.
““The court’s decision today is a loss for American competitiveness,” said Mark Wilson, president of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.”
Spoken like a true patsy of the insurance lobbyists.
Business owners have tried every way possible not to provide any benifit to employees. If they offered health insurance they cut hours so employees don’t qualify. If thy have a favored employee especially family they will have them covered and show they work full time. Most companies and physicians don’t offer health insurance because they are so greedy. There charges are based if they did provide insurance but they put that money in there on pocket. In my opinion most companies truly won’t healthy employees but due to greed they don’t want to pay. Now they will have to by law.
Good job President Obama.
I fear we as a free nation are raching the “sunset” of our republic. This law, and the court ruling on the the constitutionality of the law, gives the federal government total power of every aspect of our lives. As the president put it so
plainly in 2008 about coal power plants, “let them have them, we will tax them into bankruptcy”. Now they have the power, allowed by the court, to do this with the indivdual citizen as well. As always, the greater tax burden will fall on the working middle class.
The last sitting president that claimed there would be “no new taxes” to be elected and raised them anyway was a one term president. Let us pray this
will be the case with this president as well.
Greed, the repubs by-line, fire me up so I can use terms like kill. That is a repubs by line.Should have went total universal healthcare and shut em all up.