Baucus Bill Scores With Biz

A health care reform bill sponsored by Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus isn't impressing Republicans, but some business leaders are giving it high marks.

The proposal "covers most of the issues we brought into this reform," Antonio Perez, chief executive of Eastman Kodak Co. and chairman of the CEO organization Business Roundtable, tells the Wall Street Journal. "Even though it's not exactly what we'd like to have, it's very closely aligned to the principles of the Business Roundtable."

Ivan Seidenberg, chief executive of Verizon Communications Inc., told the Journal that the bill has "the most promise as a starting point." Neither CEO supports versions of President Obama's health reform being considered in the House.

Business support is key because employers big and small are expressing a need for health reform as long as it doesn't put onerous new requirements on them. The Baucus legislation leaves out some of the controversial aspects of the House bills. For instance, most employer groups are opposed to a public option to cover the uninsured, and that proposal is not included in the bill. The measure requires businesses to insure their employees or pay a fee, but it calls for tax credits for the smallest employers to help them pay for it.

Mr. Baucus, who will introduce his legislation today, has been working with employer groups to try to reach a consensus, the Journal reports. He's having less luck with Republicans and said yesterday he would proceed without them.