Bill's costs outweigh benefit.(Brief Article)

THE FIRST RULE in health care reform is simple: Do no harm.

A new survey conducted for the managed care trade group, the American Assn. of Health Plans, underscores the importance of that rule.

As we report in this week's issue, roughly 80% of employee benefit and human resource executives who were surveyed for the AAHP said they likely would pass cost increases onto employees, while 15% of employers likely would terminate health care coverage if a House-passed patient protection measure, known as the Norwood-Dingell bill, becomes law.

That bill, now before a congressional conference committee, would allow health plan enrollees with coverage disputes …