New Regulations

More than 70 million Americans who have health insurance through their jobs could experience higher costs or denials of certain coverages under a plan that is making its way through Congress because large employers that assume the cost and risk of health coverage for their workers wouldn't have to follow the same rules and restrictions that would be imposed on health insurers in a measure that has already been approved by the Senate Finance Committee. Large companies who already offer their workers coverage are really trying to keep the status quo and protect themselves from the new regulations and requirements in the health measure that is still being negotiated by the Obama administration and Democrats. Despite President Obama's promise that people will no longer experience being denied insurance because of a health condition or facing limits or high costs for simple services and treatments, a large number of workers wouldn't enjoy the same guarantees as others. Several big business groups have already joined together as the National Coalition on Benefits to maintain their special status that take on the risks and costs associated with insuring their own workers. They want to continue extending health insurance to their workers without insurance regulations like governing what services must be covered and regulations that decide when a person can be denied coverage. Firms that already offer coverage provide generous benefits and are already subject to certain federal requirements, most of them cover anyone regardless of their medical history or health status. But many lawmakers still believe they should follow the same strict requirements that health insurance companies would have to follow under the new system. They believe many workers would actually end up with really high health expenses if the companies don't follow these new rules.