Published: August 02, 2011

NRF Questions the Affordability of the Affordable Care Act

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WASHINGTON - (BUSINESS WIRE) - With the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcing elements of benefits under the Affordable Care Act, National Retail Federation Vice President and Employee Benefits Policy Counsel Neil Trautwein issued the following statement expressing concerns about the effectiveness and affordability of the proposal:

"The Department of Health and Human Services has taken a first step in sketching out the essential benefits package for women's preventative and reproductive health. While this is a substantial and aggressive step forward, many questions remain about the affordability of these new guidelines. The dynamic between the extent of coverage and the cost of benefits will be the crucial question for policymakers, employers and individuals ahead. We can't afford all the health care we might want - even on the prevention side."

As the world's largest retail trade association and the voice of retail worldwide, NRF's global membership includes retailers of all sizes, formats and channels of distribution as well as chain restaurants and industry partners from the United States and more than 45 countries abroad. In the United States, NRF represents an industry that includes more than 3.6 million establishments and which directly and indirectly accounts for 42 million jobs - one in four U.S. jobs. The total U.S. GDP impact of retail is $2.5 trillion annually, and retail is a daily barometer of the health of the nation's economy. www.nrf.com.