Business leaders, policy makers, and workers in the health care industry gathered to hear a panel of experts discuss the proposed federal health care legislation Friday morning at the Maryland Chamber of Commerce 2009 Business Policy Conference.

Speakers on the panel included Maryland Senate Finance Committee Chairman Thomas McLain (Mac) Middleton , U.S. Chamber of Commerce Congressional and Public Affairs Division Executive Director Katie Strong-Hays, and CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Community Affairs Maria Harris Tildon. Benefits Perspectives, Inc. President Francel Smith moderated the panel.

The panel addressed what was included in both the House and Senate versions of the health care legislation, and its potential impacts on businesses. The House version of the bill was voted on and passed Saturday. For more information about the health care debate, visit the U.S. Chamber’s Health Care Toolkit.

Strong-Hays, who stated that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was opposed to the House legislation because of concerns over employer mandates, the formation of a public plan, and funding for the reform, said much of the costs of reform would fall to small businesses in a time when small businesses are struggling.

“What we hear from chamber members is that it is the most valued benefit that their employees receive and employees want them to continue to offer their benefits, they don’t want to go out there and try to handle it on their own,” she said. “Obviously, employers today voluntarily provide those benefits to employees, and any changes to that will be detrimental to employers…Employers need that flexibility to meet the needs of their employees and adding huge costs to them at a time when we’re all struggling to get out of this economic downturn could only pose more harm to employers.”

Senator Middleton said he hopes that instead of imposing a “one-size-fits-all” public plan at the federal level that states would be given flexibility to determine the needs of their constituents. Harris-Tildon said that there is major concern about how health care reform is being approached and what is and isn’t being addressed in the legislation.

“While we were hopeful about what began as a discussion about health care reform, that it would be successful in Washington, we’re now very disappointed about the turn of events over the summer and the transition from health care reform to health insurance reform,” she said. “There is a lot to be done in respect to our health care system. We really need to look at how we address utilization, and how we encourage personal responsibility and preventative care”

The panel also answered questions from the audience. To hear some of the questions and answers, listen to the audio clips below.

How will the cost and affordability of health insurance and the process of adverse selection be impacted by the elimination of preexisting condition exclusions and health risk assessments? How will that impact the public option for employers, states, and insurance carriers? (:40)

Is there the possibility for covering individuals who are above the federal poverty level and do not qualify for government assistance but cannot afford individual health insurance through some alternative funding method? (:44)

What are the impacts of the health care legislation on the future of the health care industry and future health care providers? (1:15)