Health care reform: Here to stay?

With the outcome of last month’s elections, and Republican lawmakers taking control of the House of Representatives, many employers are now wondering (maybe even hoping), “could health care reform soon be a thing of the past?” Republican leaders have vowed to oppose the reforms that were passed into law earlier this year, and numerous bills have been introduced into Congress to repeal certain portions of it, but Republicans don’t currently have the clout to actually overturn the legislation, and the President remains firmly in support of health care reform. Although they don’t have the power to repeal health care reform, Republican lawmakers may have sufficient influence to block implementation of it, either by stifling funding for the agencies that issue health care reform regulations and enforce the law, or by putting pressure on federal regulators to influence the outcome of forthcoming guidance. The bottom line is that even though the balance of power in Washington, D.C. has shifted, health care reform is sure to be with us, in one form or another, for many years to come. If you have questions about how health care reform will affect your business, contact Kristine Cienfuegos at 800-733-8621.