Ontario, CALIFORNIA –Coming off the heels of the recently passed health care bill, the Henehan Company, an employee benefits company that specializes in Group Health Insurance, held an informational seminar on what the bill really means and how it will affect Southern California businesses. Representatives from Congressman Tom Price’s office and California Health Insurance insiders were the featured speakers at the seminar.
The majority of the seminar was dedicated to information in the bill, including estimated costs and requirements as outlined in the more than 2,700 page document. Other information was provided on the perceived side effects of the bill and the process by which it was written and passed.
“Most members of Congress didn’t know what they were voting on,” said Emily Murry, an aide to Congressman Tom Price, Repub-ST, and Price’s Health Care Policy Advisor. “You just get your talking points sent to you by email from the speaker if you are already voting for the bill, then you have those rare members who actually have their staff look into it and read it and they say ‘we can’t do this!’” added Murry. She was also asked by the Henehan Company to speak about the specifics in the bill. “If you look at the true 10-year costs, meaning when the provisions that actually cost money are implemented, the true cost is $2.6 [trillion] for the true 10-year budget scoring window”.
Neil Crosby, Vice President of Public Affairs with the California Association of Health Underwriters, also spoke at the seminar stating that the bill that passed is 2,733 pages. “We printed it, it’s a stack about 18-inches high of paper and really it’s just an outline. By the time the legislator finishes writing this thing, they expect it’s probably going to be over 200,000 pages,” Added Crosby.