Washington, D.C. – Across the country, many small businesses in the process of renewing health coverage for their employees are bearing the financial brunt of the 2020 health insurance tax (HIT). In a new national poll from Morning Consult, 2 in 3 adults (66 percent) are very concerned that if Congress does not delay the HIT, it could cost the average American family an additional $500 a year.
The new poll comes ahead of the pending deadline for coverage renewals as well as state and federal rate reviews. According to the latest survey:
- 2 in 3 adults say the costs associated with their health care have increased in the past five years;
- 2 in 3 adults strongly agree American families cannot afford a $500 increase in their health insurance premiums;
- A majority of Republicans (66 percent), Democrats (59 percent) and Independents (58 percent) oppose the HIT and the added costs to consumers’ insurance premiums;
- Half of adults say they would be more likely to vote for their Congressional member in the next election if he or she votes to delay the HIT; and
- Opposition to the health care taxes spans party lines with a plurality of both Democrats and Republicans opposing the HIT, medical device tax and Cadillac tax.
Stop The HIT Coalition members have been meeting with Congressional leaders in states and districts across the country as part of a nationwide mobilization to encourage bipartisan support for HIT suspension in 2020 and beyond. Legislation introduced in the Senate, including S.172 – “Health Insurance Tax Relief Act of 2019” and S. 80 – “Jobs and Premium Protection Act”, would suspend or fully repeal the HIT and protect millions of families from steep premium increases in subsequent years.
To view the full survey, click here. For more on STH’s efforts to suspend the health insurance tax, click here.