FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2016
Stop The HIT Coalition Launches New Website, Amplified Digital Outreach
Effort Builds on Bipartisan Vote to Provide Temporary HIT Relief
Washington, D.C. – The Stop The HIT Coalition today unveiled a new website detailing the harmful impact of the Health Insurance Tax (HIT), which unfairly targets working families, small businesses, seniors and young workers struggling to afford health insurance.
Efforts to repeal the HIT have been gaining momentum since the bipartisan vote at the end of 2015 to suspend the impact of the HIT for one-year in 2017. The new website is just one example of the amplified digital push the Coalition has undertaken in recent months, which includes the release of new infographics, blogs and increased engagement on social platforms.
“The vote to suspend the HIT was a game-changer for the Coalition and the momentum for full repeal continues to build. Nearly 400 Members of Congress—both Democrats and Republicans—are on record supporting the need to provide Americans relief from the HIT,” said Elena Tompkins, Executive Director of the Stop The HIT Coalition. “The Coalition is expanding our digital presence to reach the millions of Americans who are vulnerable to the HIT. Our message is that this vote was a welcome and important first step, but Americans need the certainty of full repeal.”
The new site outlines how the HIT harms everyday Americans:
Families: It’s estimated that working families will pay an additional $5,000 in higher premiums over the next decade. Moreover, young workers, including 26 year olds transitioning off their parents’ policies, are hit with the tax just as they are struggling to make it on their own.
Families will forego access to programs to improve care quality and lower costs, such as wellness initiatives and disease management tools, as employers are forced to make cuts to investments in health programs.
Small Business: Facing a premium increase of approximately $5,000 over the next decade, small businesses are being forced to decide between creating jobs or providing health coverage to their employees.
Low-income & Middle Class: Nearly half of the entire HIT is paid by those with incomes between $10,000 – $50,000. Only a small fraction of the tax will be paid by the most affluent.
Seniors: The cost of providing Medicare Advantage coverage will increase by $3,590 per beneficiary over 10 years due to the HIT, which is resulting in seniors facing upward pressures on premiums and reductions in benefits.
States: State budgets are facing tremendous pressure as the HIT increases the cost of providing Medicaid health plans by $1,530 per enrollee over 10 years, making it more difficult for states to provide safety-net coverage to their most vulnerable citizens.
The new website also features testimonials from small business owners who explain that the HIT is forcing them to make tough decisions, such as whether or not to hire additional workers or provide their existing employees with health insurance.
“We hope the new website underscores our message that the HIT is a significant problem for small business and working families struggling to afford health care,” Tompkins added.
The following are excerpts from several of the personal stories included in the new site:
“This tax in particular and the rising cost of health insurance strangles the business owner’s ability to create new jobs.”
–Tom Jones (TN), Research Electronics International
“Not only would repealing the HIT help bring some sanity back to health insurance costs, it would help stimulate the economy with new jobs, too.”
–Gina Martin (AK), Little Rock Tours and Travel
“If Congress were to repeal this tax, we could use this money to offer additional benefits to our employees. We can also use this money to encourage additional hiring. Most importantly it would provide us the comfort to know that we’re going to be ok this year.”
–Clay Pinson (LA), Massengale Grounds Management
“The HIT is yet another cost that will weigh on the shoulders of small business owners and their employees. Elected leaders—both in Oregon and around the country—need to find a way to change things before it is too late and help small businesses like mine avoid the HIT.”
–Kelsey Wood (OR), Gordon Wood Insurance and Financial Services
“…our premiums increased more than six percent last year, and I’ve been advised that they could go up between 22 to 25 percent next year. This increase is largely due to the Health Insurance Tax. If that happens, we may no longer be able to afford to cover 100 percent of our employees’ premiums.”
–Gerald Faulk (LA), C&S Safety Systems of Louisiana
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Media Contact: media@stopthehit.com
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.