Why employers should oppose the Clinton plan - healthcare reform - Editor's Memo - Editorial

President and Hillary Rodham Clinton are to be congratulated for presenting a comprehensive plan to reform the health care system. Americans deserve universal access and a system that controls costs and rewards quality and efficiency.

But the Clinton plan is seriously flawed. It virtually eliminates the employer's role in providing health care. Employers would still be required to pay for care, but would have no control over quality, costs, or access.

Employers should not be removed from the responsibility of providing health care to their workers and their dependents, and many would prefer to retain that charge. After all, they paid for 64% of all health care last year. Moreover, they have learned over the past years that they are the best judge of the quality and cost of care for their workers. Although many complain that their costs have been rising unchecked for too long, others have had substantial success in controlling costs and improving quality. The Blue Cross Shield HMO offered through the Florida Gulf Coast Health Coalition in Tampa and the Central Florida Health Care Coalition in Orlando has cut its rates to employers by 2% to 3% in the last several years, says Frank Brocato, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast group. Costs for the BCBS PPO for the coalitions had been increasing about 20% annually, but went up only 3% to 4% in recent years, he says. CalPERS, the large purchasing cooperative for public employees in California, is seeking a 5% cut in rates for fiscal 1994. A study by KPMG Peat Marwick, Montvale, N.J., says employers saw an increase of 8% in health care costs last year over the year earlier figure. Employers that are enjoying success should be allowed to continue to do so, and health care reform should foster their success so that it reaches more Americans.

As employers confront these changes, we have noticed that subscribers are reading B&H more closely. Given that, we thought it would be appropriate to give the magazine a new design. Our year-long experiment to bring new vibrancy to the magazine culminates this month with the unveiling of a bolder, more powerful design.

Under the guidance of Art Director Ann Weber and Associate Art Director Robin Sodaro, we have developed a more creative form that makes the magazine more reader friendly. We want you to get more out of the time you spend with B&H, regardless of whether you read it cover to cover or simply peruse articles of interest.

COPYRIGHT 1993 A Thomson Healthcare Company
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group