Overview
On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the ACA), also referred to as federal health care reform. The ACA makes the most sweeping changes to the health care laws in generations. It will significantly affect how millions of Californians access health care coverage, including health insurers, employers that sponsor group health plans, employees who participate in them, and individuals. The scope of the ACA is so broad that it will be years before all its provisions will be fully implemented and its ramifications fully understood. Health Care Reform 
Goals
Promote a sound and affordable health care system. Work to contain costs and avoid unnecessary and expensive regulatory controls, including mandates.
Major Victories
- Stopped state proposals in recent years that would have increased health care premiums by establishing numerous health care coverage mandates.
Position
- Promote efforts to contain costs and improve access to health care by supporting a health care system that is affordable and improves the overall health of California citizens.
- Work to avoid unnecessary and expensive regulatory controls, including mandates, and continue to support a climate where market forces play the predominant role.
- Continue to support managed care legislation and regulatory action that promotes quality care and cost containment.
- Encourage personal responsibility for individual health care, including coverage, wellness and education, in order to enhance quality of life and achieve long-term health care cost savings.
- Oppose policies and initiatives that shift the cost of health care programs and coverage of the uninsured and underinsured to employers.
- Support opportunities to gain efficiencies and optimal outcomes by coordinating the fragmented health care delivery systems.
- Support policies that promote affordability and value in the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange.
- Support efforts to streamline government regulations in order to increase efficiency and reduce overall administrative burdens.
- Support innovative solutions to improve access, quality and cost of health care delivery, including inter-operable e-prescribing with the appropriate assistance for development of infrastructure.
- Support policies that encourage continued medical discoveries and innovations that improve quality of care.
Issue Summaries
Health Care Tax
Position: Support public policy to ensure affordable access to health care in a market-driven environment. The CalChamber will continue to support policies that encourage competition, choice and value. Health Care Tax
Workplace Wellness Incentive Programs
Position: Encourage personal responsibility for individual health care, including wellness and education in order to enhance quality of life and achieve long-term health-care cost savings. The CalChamber also has a long-standing policy to support proposals that encourage and reward healthy lifestyle choices through health care coverage. Workplace Wellness Incentive Programs
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