by Katie Chanpong, Health Care Policy Intern,
National Women’s Law Center
Last week Wal-Mart sent a letter to President Obama announcing its support of a requirement for businesses to contribute to the cost of health coverage for their employees (sometimes called an “employer mandate”). A controversial step, the world’s largest private employer is breaking ranks with its traditional political allies—the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business, and almost every other major business trade association in Washington—and joining forces with political adversaries—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Center for American Progress (CAP). “Not every business can make the same contributions,” wrote leaders from Wal-Mart, SEIU, and CAP, “but everyone must make some contribution.”
By advocating that employers, individuals, and the government all have an important role to play in providing and obtaining health coverage, these three major stakeholders are focusing America’s health care debate on a vision of shared responsibility. We here at the National Women’s Law Center agree that a shared responsibility policy—including a meaningful employer mandate—will be crucial to achieving long-lasting health care reform and insuring millions of Americans. For women, a robust employer mandate means continued support for the 61 million women who currently receive employer-sponsored health insurance, as well as help obtaining coverage for the nearly 10 million working women who are uninsured.
The state of our current health system is bleak. Skyrocketing health care costs make it more difficult for employers and families to afford coverage; hard-working people fall into medical bankruptcy and millions go without necessary medical treatment. But time and time again, history has shown us that if we all do our part, we can change the system. As the health care reform bills make their way through Congress in the coming weeks, we’ll be on the lookout for inclusion of a strong employer mandate as well as other important shared responsibility provisions. As noted by Wal-Mart, SEIU, and CAP, these pieces are critical to “make this bill a win / win for employers, individuals and America’s competitiveness.”
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