On Monday, the National Business Group on Health and the ERISA Industry Committee announced that they had filed a friend-of-the-court brief challenging a provision of San Francisco's universal health access law, CQ HealthBeat reports (CQ HealthBeat, 11/3).
A provision of the law requires employers to spend a minimum amount on health care, in coverage for their workers, reimbursements of medical expenses or payments to the city (California Healthline, 5/27).
The groups are joining the Golden Gate Restaurant Association's argument that the provision violates the 1974 Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, a federal law that governs regulation of employee benefit plans (National Business Group on Health release, 11/3).
Last month, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the program can continue because it does not violate ERISA (California Healthline, 10/1).
On Oct. 21, GGRA filed a petition asking the full 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to rehear the case.
A decision is expected by December (National Business Group on Health release, 11/3).