WASHINGTON, D.C. July 29, 2013 – Today, the Stop the HIT Coalition, a broad-based group representing the nation’s small business owners, their employees and the self-employed, coordinated a local meeting in Kalamazoo, Michigan to speak with Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) about how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will affect small businesses, specifically the impact of the health insurance tax (HIT). The event was hosted by Tom Little, owner of ServiceMaster of Kalamazoo.
“Small businesses are on the frontlines of Michigan’s recovery, providing the job creation, investment, and local revenue our communities need. They deserve our full support and to have their voices heard,” said Congressman Upton.
“The challenges that these small businesses face because of the healthcare law and its requirements are devastatingly real. The new health insurance tax threatens workers with dramatically higher insurance premiums and could jeopardize their employer-provided coverage all together. If the President is serious about supporting jobs, that should begin by removing the unnecessary roadblocks that penalize the small business community and their employees.”
The HIT, a new tax born from the PPACA, will impose an estimated $101.7 billion in new costs on the small business community, their employees and the self-employed during the first ten years, in the form of higher health insurance premiums. The HIT does not sunset and is expected to cost the average family approximately $5,000 in higher premiums over the decade.
“I’ve always provided health care coverage to my employees, but with these costs continuing to increase, new burdens like the HIT are only exacerbating the problem and could force me to reconsider offering this benefit,” said Tom Little. “It is encouraging to know that leaders in Congress like Rep. Upton have heard the concerns of small business owners like me and are fighting on our behalf to reestablish a pro-growth environment so small businesses can thrive.”
“Smaller companies already face significant challenges in the marketplace against their larger competitors and at the very least, deserve the chance to operate on a level playing field,” said Charlie Owens, the Michigan State Director of the National Federation of Independent Business. “More than 3.2 million Michigan residents work for a small business in our state and depend on this income to provide for their families. It is for these Americans and the millions more across the country who depend on the success of small businesses that Congress must repeal 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. For more information, please visit www.StopTheHIT.com.