“Business Roundtable members commend Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus for continuing to advance the goal of passing effective health care reform legislation. As the results of yesterday’s Business Roundtable report show, if health care costs continue on the current path, the cost to employers for providing coverage will triple, exceeding $29,000 per employee over the next decade. Simply put, the cost of inaction on health care is unsustainable and could put millions of workers at risk.

“The status quo is a prescription for failure. Chairman Baucus has put forward a bold framework for health care reform that builds on what works and improves what doesn''t. The momentum is building and the moment is now. Our sleeves are rolled up as we join in this critical work to reform the health care system.

“Baucus’ bill reflects a step in the right direction on the long road toward health care reform. It is important, however, we remain vigilant about controlling the overall cost of reform.

“We support Sen. Baucus on his continued work on health reform and we remain willing to play a role in advancing a health care reform plan that will empower consumers, promote innovation, incentivize healthy behaviors, reduce costs and cover every American,” said Antonio M. Perez, Chair of Business Roundtable’s Consumer Health and Retirement Initiative and Chairman and CEO of Eastman Kodak Company.

Business Roundtable is an association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies with more than $5 trillion in annual revenues and nearly 10 million employees. Member companies comprise nearly a third of the total value of the U.S. stock markets and pay nearly half of all corporate income taxes paid to the federal government. Annually, they return $133 billion in dividends to shareholders and the economy.

Business Roundtable companies provide health care coverage to more than 35 million employees, retirees, and their families.

Please visit us at www.businessroundtable.org, check us out on Facebook and LinkedIn, and follow us on Twitter.

Contacts:

Business Roundtable
Kirk Monroe, 202-496-3269