For Immediate Release
Stop The HIT Coalition Urges Senate Finance Committee to Priortize HIT Relief for Small Businesses, Employees
Washington, DC – Ahead of today’s Senate Finance Committee hearing, the 24 members of the Stop The HIT Coalition urged the Committee to prioritize Health Insurance Tax relief as part of any legislative package aimed at lowering the cost of care for seniors, Medicaid beneficiaries, and individuals purchasing coverage in the individual market.
With 2018 premiums finalized in just a few weeks, there is greater urgency in advancing reforms to address the cost challenges facing small businesses and their employees. Without immediate Congressional action, the HIT will return in 2018 at $14.3 billion, further driving up the cost of care for those who need relief the most.
The letter notes that, “Suspending the HIT for 2018 is a common-sense approach to address the cost challenges facing Americans. Indeed, past Congressional efforts to provide HIT relief, including bipartisan action from nearly 400 Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate to suspend the HIT for 2017, represented a significant step forward for small businesses.”
Finance Committee Chairman Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has been a long-standing champion for HIT relief. While meeting with Utah small business owners to discuss the negative impact of the HIT, Senator Hatch noted that “We don’t need something like the HIT tax to add to the cost of health care.” Watch a video clip here.
Stop The HIT Coalition members have been actively engaged with members of Congress over the August recess asking them to prioritize HIT relief in the next several weeks. To see the highlights, click here. For more on the impact of the HIT on premiums, click here.
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About Stop The HIT: The Stop The HIT Coalition represents the nation’s small business owners, their employees and the self-employed who are actively working to repeal the Health Insurance Tax. Since the Coalition’s formation in 2011, it has grown to include more than 35 national organizations, representing millions of small business owners across the country.
Additional information may be found at www.stopthehit.com | Twitter: @StopTheHIT | YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/StopTheHIT | Blog: http://www.stopthehit.com/blog | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StopTheHIT