06/22/2017

ASAE Urges Inclusiveness in Healthcare Debate

The organization feels the Senate should have sought input from outside experts

Earlier this week, the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) urged Senate leaders to be more inclusive in crafting health-care legislation, as opposed to working behind closed doors and with little input from healthcare organizations and other stakeholders in the healthcare system.

Until today, the details of the Senate healthcare bill had been deliberated in secret for weeks. ASAE reasoned in a June 20 letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that the conversations on what should and should not be in the bill would have been greatly enhanced if they had solicited input from the association sector.

“Crafting healthcare legislation on this scale without public hearings and with limited input from outside experts is a mistake, and is a departure from the traditional way the Senate has considered complex issues of this nature,” said ASAE President and CEO John Graham. “Drafting legislation behind closed doors also inhibits Congress’s ability to educate the public and the healthcare industry about your goals for the legislation and build support for the changes you are interested in advancing.”

This article was provided to OSAE by The Power of A and ASAE's Inroads.