Presently the Senate Finance Committee's health care reform bill includes an Excise Tax on health care benefits. This is unacceptable to Maine's working families. Union members have sacrificed and fought for years to ensure that their families have the best health care coverage. The proposed Excise Tax would cut into what we have earned.
The Committee is trying to place the weight of financing health care on the backs of working families instead of doing the hard work of challenging the insurance companies and health care industry.
Over 76 members of congress including Representative Michaud and Representative Pingree have signed a letter opposing the Senate Finance Committee's Excise Tax on your benefits. We need to make sure that our Senators Snowe and Collins oppose the taxing of health benefits as well. Call them today at 1-877-323-5246. Tell them that taxing your family's benefits is not reform.
The Maine AFL-CIO continues to believe that the most effective way to solve our health care crisis is by enacting a Medicare for All health care system with single payer financing. We will have historic opportunities in the coming weeks to build support for that goal. For the first time in US history, the United State House & Senate will be voting on whether to establish a single payer system. They will also be voting on amendments to make it easier for states to enact single payer health systems at the state level. Stay tuned for more updates. And to learn more go to: www.pnhp.org/change and www.pnhp.org/amendment.
