P.M. BRIEFING : Executives Oppose Health Plan

WASHINGTON — An overwhelming majority of the nation’s leading business executives oppose national health insurance as a way to remedy soaring U.S. health care costs, the Health Insurance Assn. of America said today.

The group, which represents major health insurance companies, said 94% of the executives it surveyed at the nation’s 1,000 largest companies are opposed to national health insurance.

“Corporate America believes a private sector-public sector approach is the most practical, cost-effective method of providing access to health care and solving our nation’s soaring health care costs,” said Carl J. Schramm, the group’s president.

“Given its sky-high cost, national health insurance would be a big, expensive pill to swallow,” Schramm said in a statement.

More than 60% of the executives responding to the survey said the private sector alone should take responsibility for controlling health-care-financing costs. More than 30% said business should join government in seeking a solution, the group said.