Health, business groups continue staking out reform positions

Reuters reports that the National Retail Federation has come out against mandated employer coverage for health care for their employees, a stance that Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, supports.

"The National Retail Federation 'cannot support an employer mandate of any type,' said NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations Steve Pfister in a statement. He said the retail industry is a labor-heavy one that operates on a thin profit margin. … Last week, Wal-Mart, which is not a member of the NRF, said it supports the push to require large employers to offer health insurance to workers" (Maestri, 7/9).

Meanwhile, other groups also continue efforts to stake out their positions in the reform debate. For instance, interests represented by the drug and hospital lobbies are hoping that by offering cost savings now to the White House, that they will have a chance to influence final reform legislation, The Associated Press reports. "The trade groups are hoping that Obama will remember later that they gave him a welcome assist during a rough stretch, when divisions in Congress were slowing health care legislation. They want the chance to help shape a final deal bigger than anything Washington has attempted in years (Alonso-Zaldivar and Fram, 7/9).