The year 2016 promises to be a busy one in Washington, D.C., with several bills pending that could impact brokers and their employer clients. In alphabetical order, here are 10 broker-friendly members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have sponsored/cosponsored important legislation, belong to congressional caucuses that support the industry, and/or have personal experience with the industry, including serving as a benefit adviser.
- Make consumers and employers the priority in healthcare
- Maintain employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) to preserve the tax-free benefit
- Allow individuals to buy coverage across state lines and with tax-preferred dollars
- Offer tax credits to people less fortunate to buy coverage
- Privatize the VA to improve quality and lower cost, then pay 100% of the cost of care for veterans
- Require the federal government to pay providers on par with the commercial market
- Implement tort reform to reduce/eliminate the defensive practice of medicine
- Create a consumer-centric (people and employer), competitive market by making all cost and quality information transparent and offer incentives to improve lifestyle behavior
- Improve and enhance health savings accounts to help consumers pay for care and save for retirement healthcare needs
- Partner with Silicon Valley to build tools and resources for consumers with state of the art technology to improve the healthcare experience and build consumer confidence
