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NEWS RELEASE
December 9, 2009
Council strongly supports Landrieu amendment to Senate bill:90-day waiting period amendment critical for companies sponsoring health care coverage for flexible workforces WASHINGTON, D.C. — “The American Benefits Council strongly supports Senator Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) amendment to the Senate bill permitting a 90-day penalty-free waiting period before participant enrollment. This simple provision will help companies with flexible, part-time or seasonal workforces to sponsor health care benefits for these employees,” Council President James A. Klein said. “As health reform legislation is considered by the Senate, it is particularly important to find solutions, such as the one Senator Landrieu is proposing today, that work for employers with high employee turnover.,” said Klein. Throughout the health care debate, the Council has urged the adoption of such a provision, most recently in its November 30 letter to the Senate. “Since the beginning of the health reform debate, the Council has urged lawmakers to build on an element of our health care system that works: the employer-sponsored benefits system. The Landrieu amendment helps reach this goal by encouraging very large and very small employers to offer coverage to millions of Americans working in flexible arrangements,” Klein said. For more information, or to arrange an interview with Council staff, please contact Jason Hammersla, Council director of communications, at 202-289-6700 (office) or (202) 253-5458 (cell).
The American Benefits Council is the national trade association for companies concerned about federal legislation and regulations affecting all aspects of the employee benefits system. The Council’s members represent the entire spectrum of the private employee benefits community and either sponsor directly or administer retirement and health plans covering more than 100 million Americans.
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