High Country Times

Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Bob Good (R-VA) delivered a statement at a hearing titled "ERISA's 50th Anniversary: The Value of Employer-Sponsored Health Benefits." Good emphasized the economic concerns voiced by his constituents, including high gas prices, housing costs, and fears of an economic downturn. He highlighted the role of ERISA in providing economic security through employer-sponsored health benefits.

"Over the last six weeks, I heard a lot from my constituents about the issues that impact their everyday lives," Good stated. He argued that ERISA has been instrumental in incentivizing employers to offer health care benefits to over 153 million Americans. According to Good, ERISA’s preemption clause prevents a patchwork of state regulations from complicating employer-provided health coverage.

Good cited surveys indicating strong support for employer-sponsored health benefits. "According to a Society for Human Resource Management survey, 90 percent of workers consider health care to be an extremely or very important employee benefit," he noted. Another survey found that 93 percent of Americans are satisfied with their employer-sponsored coverage.

Good expressed concern over proposals like Medicare-for-All and criticized the Biden-Harris administration's approach to health care regulation. He argued that increased regulations have made private health care less affordable and criticized initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act for shifting funds from Medicare to Obamacare plans.

He also took issue with Vice President Kamala Harris's endorsement of Medicare-for-All, suggesting it would eliminate private health insurance and cost taxpayers significantly. "A single-payer system would mark the end of ERISA as we know it—and cost taxpayers an estimated $32 trillion," he said.

Good concluded by calling on Congress to strengthen ERISA and employer-sponsored health benefits for future generations.

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