 The Big Business interests in America include the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), Business Roundtable, Financial Services Roundtable and others. Employer-based plans make up nearly 90 percent of the private health insurance market and offer coverage to more than 172 million workers, retirees and their families. What does that mean? In an era when health care costs are skyrocketing, the business interests need to help find the solution—and not be part of the problem. These Big Business interests support proposals that push working families into high-deductible plans and health savings accounts (HSAs) that shift the cost of health care onto individuals and families. These "pay more/get less" programs are not the answer to the health care crisis.  PhRMa is the official lobbying organization of the pharmaceutical industry. The cost of prescription drugs is now rising an average of 15 percent a year. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry is making record profits, thanks in part to big spending on marketing and administration. PhRMa argues that the drug companies need to charge high prices so they can spend more money on research. But the seven largest drug manufacturers spend an average of twice as much money on marketing, advertising and administration than on research and development. Executive compensation also is through the roof. Henry "Hank" A. McKinnell, the former CEO of Pfizer Inc., retired in 2005 with more than $6.5 million in pay and benefits. His retirement package was second-highest in the country, only behind the retiring CEO of Exxon Mobil Corp., Lee Raymond. What is PhRMa's response? In 2003, PhRMa increased its lobbying budget to $150 million. According to The New York Times, the money was earmarked to lobby the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state governments, Congress and to fight Canadian drug imports. The money also was used to develop "a standing network of economists and thought leaders to speak against federal price control regulations."  Private insurance companies such as Humana and Golden Rule have pushed high-deductible health plans and health savings accounts (HSAs) that shift the cost of health care onto individuals and families. In the kind of health plan eligible for HSAs, families would face a minimum of a $2,000 deductible a year—as high as $10,000 in some cases—before their coverage actually kicks in. These insurance companies already have seen their profits soar, partly through the new Medicare drug plans for seniors. Humana even raised seniors’ premiums between 60 percent and 460 percent in the second year of the plan. Conseco, Inc. made news by denying long-term care policies to seniors. On March 26, The New York Times reported that in some cases Conseco denied claims for so long the policyholders died before receiving insurance money.  The Bush administration's proposal for health care reform includes: - "Pay more/get less" programs that push working families into high-deductible plans and health savings accounts (HSAs) that shift the cost of health care onto individuals and families. These are the same programs favored by corporate interests.
- Make working families who have good health coverage pay more in taxes.
- Shortchange the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides coverage to children—increasing the number of uninsured children who are eligible but not able to enroll.
The end result will be that working families pay more and get less. This is not a solution to the health care crisis. Tell the Bush administration to stop blocking meaningful health care reform. Act now. | 
