Members of a national self-insurance industry trade group expressed concern March 12 about how proposed health care reform might harm the 75 million people who are covered by self-insured employee benefit plans in meetings in Washington, D.C.

The Self-Insurance Institute of America participated in more than 300 meetings with members of Congress and their staff to address elements of President Barack Obama and Congress’ plans for health insurance reform that may harm those who are covered by self-insured plans.

“Our mission is to rally support for the employer-sponsored self-insured health care system,” said Michael Ferguson, chief operating officer of SIIA, said in a statement. “While prevalent health reform proposals identify the existing employer-based system as an asset, certain details of the proposals cause concern.”

The meetings in legislative offices focused on proposed mandates for employee coverage that would include taxation sanctions against employers who do not provide coverage, and a national health insurance exchange that would serve as an option for people who opt out of their employer plans or are not offered plans.

“The mandated coverage, termed ‘pay or play’ could ultimately erode the employer system by requiring standardized government-determined plans that would eliminate the present flexibility of self-insured plans, and perhaps force employers to terminate their plans,” Ferguson said.

SIIA’s concern about an optional health insurance exchange centers on the proposal to include a government program along with private insurance plans. “This would ultimately lead to the elimination of the employer-based system as the government plan would be subsidized by taxpayer dollars and represent unfair competition versus health plans of private insurers,” Ferguson said.

SIIA is a national trade association comprised of companies involved in the self-insurance and alternative risk transfer industry.