U.S. House votes to repeal health care law

After voting on Wednesday to repeal President’s Obama’s health care plan, the U.S. House of Representatives instructed four committees to begin drafting legislation to replace the law Republicans have deemed a “job killer.” While the committees will begin hearings soon, there is no timetable as to when an alternative plan will be presented, though most pundits expect the process to last through the 2012 election. Wednesday’s repeal vote was largely viewed as symbolic since it is unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate. Meanwhile, Republicans plan to move ahead with repealing certain aspects of the law that have garnered bipartisan support, including the onerous provision requiring businesses to file a 1099 form to the IRS for every vendor for whom they pay more than $600.     

Also on Thursday, six more states – Iowa, Ohio, Kansas, Wyoming, Wisconsin and Maine – joined the federal lawsuit in Florida challenging the constitutionality of the health care law, meaning over half of the states are fighting the law in court. Kentucky is not one of them.

The Kentucky Chamber continues to monitor implementation of the health care law and the challenges of the law in court, and we will keep members informed of changing employer responsibilities and how these changes impact the bottom line.