Washington, DC - U.S. Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President for Government Affairs Bruce Josten issued the following statement today on the House Republicans’ health care reform package:

“The Chamber has long been a leader in the push to improve the Affordable Care Act. This House Republican whitepaper will once again generate welcome discussion about the problems and benefits of the health care law. The Chamber will vet the proposal and determine our position based on input from our broad membership base.  

“Upon initial review, there are areas we can support, such as the repeal of the employer mandate, the easing of the age rating ban from 3:1 to 5:1 in the individual and small group market, the improvements to Health Savings Accounts, and the repeal of various ACA taxes. On the other hand, there are areas of clear concern, such as the proposed taxation on employee health care benefits and lifting the ban on physician-owned hospitals.  

“We look forward to participating in the public debate kicked off by today’s announcement.”