Tuesday, March 25, 2003
11:00 a.m. CST

St. Paul, Minnesota - At today's small business roundtable discussion with U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, the idea of moving away from employer-sponsored coverage was raised by Citizens' Council on Health Care (CCHC).

"Does the Bush health care plan include proposals that help citizens move out of employer-sponsored coverage?" asked Twila Brase, president of CCHC.

Chao responded by noting that such portability would be valuable. She said:

• 52 million Americans leave their jobs each year.

• 40 percent of such workers find new jobs in 6-7 weeks.

• the average 32 year old has already had nine jobs.

Kathleen Harrington, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, added that Medical Savings Accounts, which are in the Bush health care plan, are one way of moving in that direction.

Sitting around the table for the discussion were 40-50 small business owners, Marilyn Carlson Nelson of the Carlson Companies, and staffers from the offices of U.S. Representative John Kline and U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.

CCHC supports providing individuals with the same state and federal tax deduction employers now receive to provide employees with health coverage.

"Employer-sponsored health coverage is extraordinarily expensive and restrictive. Moving out of employer-sponsored health insurance and into individual policies will provide the American population with broader choices in health insurance, higher cash wages, and lower health care costs through improved competition and heightened cost sensitivity."

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CCHC is an independent non-profit free-market health care policy organization located in St. Paul, Minnesota