Pantos said the institute's goal is to educate Congress in the finer points of the bill, such as the differences between PPOs and HMOs. Right now, lobbyists, employers and self-insurance industry members are focusing on visiting the members of the House and Senate committees where the bill resides. Before the summer recess, Pantos plans to accelerate the lobbying efforts by making more Capitol Hill visits and urging institute members to call, write or visit their local legislators. As a large employer in Wisconsin, Wausau Benefits has targeted that state's legislative delegation for lobbying against the McCain-Kennedy bill. This grass-roots effort is more important than lobbying, Pantos said.
Legislators are more concerned about voters than lobbyists.
The most effective kind are visits to legislators by employers. They include paying only for claims that occur, rather than for premiums prior to a participant's claim experience, and being able to modify the coverage to reflect the needs of employees. For instance, if the majority of a company's employees are young families, it can offer a health plan that covers well-child visits. Employers with self-funded health plans have control over the plan's reserves, allowing the company to invest the money to its maximum benefit. Good candidates for self-funded health plans have a long operating history and a predictable cash flow, so they will be able to pay the claims, Moore said.