Little did we know back in January, when we first surveyed finance executives concerning their company healthcare costs, that we would be debuting the findings of our survey within what appears to be a rather pivotal week for healthcare reform.

Earlier this week, President Obama for the first time provided a detailed road map for what he wants a health overhaul to look like — and today, of course, the president is convening an all-day televised healthcare “summit” at Blair House. The event, seen by many as a political maneuver, is intended to jump-start the reform movement.

No matter what its intended purpose may be, the gathering in Washington serves as an interesting backdrop to the discussions taking place daily inside the finance departments of large, medium-size, and small companies.

That discussion is not about whether finance executives are pro or con healthcare reform. There has always been an acknowledged need for change here, and the possibility of new business opportunities is something finance executives savor along with the rest of business. The healthcare discussion taking place in finance departments really concerns control.

How CFOs View Healthcare Reform

For instance, more than half of the finance executives surveyed believe they will have less control to manage healthcare costs in the wake of reform measures. What’s more, a majority of survey takers (61 percent) believe the legislation lacks personal responsibility for health.

Today, as more companies rethink their approach to managing healthcare costs, there are no sacred cows: Health insurance and worksite health promotion programs are all falling under greater scrutiny as companies initiate a search for savings.

When asked whether they agreed with the statement “Investments in health insurance and worksite health promotion programs are falling under greater scrutiny,” more than three-quarters of finance executives agreed.

Here’s what one finance executive told us, within the write-in answer portion of our survey: “The reforms will drive costs up for responsible companies like mine who have always placed insuring all of our employees as a high priority. We currently cover 84 percent of their healthcare insurance costs. Regardless of what we do to mange those costs, the government’s attempt at more entitlement will be at my company’s expense, and my employees’ expense.”

It’s a thought that was echoed by many others. And one that needs to be amplified this week, of all weeks. When it comes to finance, it’s about control: How can we better control our employee healthcare costs?

The fear of losing control over costs has clearly led to skepticism of government reform. The question is whether it’s an appropriate stance or a knee-jerk reaction. Again, help us to understand better where the mechanisms of control reside. ###