The Society for Human Resources Management has approached Congress about actions involved in the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

SHRM's letter asked that body to maintain the employer health care system's effectiveness while it attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The letter, sent to Congress after the Senate passed the budget resolution for 2017 that took the first steps toward repeal, urges the House to keep in place some of the provisions for employer plans under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, such as flexibility and affordability.

Recommended For You

In addition, the letter advocated for a repeal of the 40 percent excise tax on high-end health care plans, termed the "Cadillac Tax."

Michael P. Aitken, vice president of government affairs for SHRM, also wrote in the letter that SHRM looks forward to working with congressional leaders on enacting "effective" and "responsible" health care reforms.

The letter "should resonate" with Republicans, particularly about the law's provisions that "burden employers," such as having to track and report on participants in health plans and having to pay per-employee penalties for noncompliance.

Aitken also suggests lawmakers "eliminate coverage requirements on employer-sponsored plans to ensure employers have the flexibility to design benefit plans that meet the unique needs of varying workforces" and "allow employers to adopt innovative strategies to improve health benefit offerings to lower overall U.S. health care costs."

No details have been released on possible replacements for provisions of the law, although several outlines have been proposed by individual Republican lawmakers. The president-elect has not issued specifics on any plan he may have in the works.

Once the budget resolution was passed, along party lines, committees of resolution were expected to begin work on drafts for budget and tax reconciliation legislation, including specific provisions to repeal taxes imposed by the ACA.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.