America's Large Employers Applaud Chairman Baucus' Call To Reform Health Care in 2009

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Phil Blando
pblando@abmpartnersllc.com
202-386-7370 ext 2

(Washington, DC) -- Helen Darling, President of the National Business Group on Health
(NBGH), released the following statement in response to Senate Finance Committee Chair
Max Baucus' white paper, "Call to Action: Health Reform 2009." The NBGH represents more
than 300 large employers, including 63 of the Fortune 100, providing health benefits to more
than 50 million Americans:

"At a time of widespread economic anxiety, Chairman Baucus is to be commended for
rightly recognizing that health care reform goes hand-in-hand with addressing our
nation's broader economic problems. As America's businesses work hard to stay
competitive in a global marketplace, the rising cost of providing health care benefits to
workers, their families, and retirees continues to be a major challenge for businesses.
With more than 46 million Americans without health care coverage and chronic illnesses
threatening to overwhelm an already-stretched system, it is critical that all stakeholders
come together to fashion comprehensive - yet workable - health reforms."

"We are very encouraged that Chairman Baucus has set forth a detailed plan that seeks to
address these challenges and we look forward to reviewing his proposal in greater detail.
Chairman Baucus has a long and distinguished record of bipartisan, results-oriented
leadership that bodes well for enacting reform in 2009."

"America's large employers stand ready and willing to play a constructive role in
advancing meaningful and comprehensive health care reform in the 111th Congress. An
engine of reform in their own rite, large employers have consistently challenged
providers and plans alike to bring more transparency, measurement, cost control, safety
and accountability to the system. With the US spending more than $2 trillion annually on
health care, it is critical that we continue to work to ensure that consumers and private
and public payors receive value commensurate with this huge investment of resources."