Press Release
2016-02-25
CancerCare Latest to Join Effort to Repeal the “Cadillac Tax”
Washington, D.C. (February 25, 2016) – The Alliance to Fight the 40, a broad-based coalition seeking to repeal the 40% tax on health benefits, announced today that CancerCare has joined the Alliance as its 40th member. CancerCare is the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical and financial challenges of cancer.
“CancerCare is an organization staffed by professional oncology social workers who experience first-hand the financial obstacles patients face. Unfortunately, the ‘Cadillac Tax’ disproportionately impacts those plans that cover workers and family members that experience catastrophic health events like cancer,” said James A. Klein, President of the American Benefits Council and a member of the Alliance to Fight the 40. “We welcome their support and look forward to working with them to repeal this tax.”
“CancerCare is proud to join the Alliance to support this initiative, the outcome of which stands to have an enormous impact on employers, employees, and their families across the nation,” said Patricia J. Goldsmith, CancerCare Chief Executive Officer. “For more than 70 years, CancerCare has helped people cope with the financial burden of a cancer diagnosis, and we strongly support the Alliance’s effort to repeal this tax, which will increase the economic uncertainty faced by so many families affected by cancer or any health challenge.”
The “Cadillac Tax” is a 40% tax on the cost of employer-sponsored health coverage that exceeds certain benefit thresholds and is set to go in to effect in 2020. In addition to the growing coalition of supporters that are part of the Alliance to Fight the 40, there is broad bipartisan support in Congress for repealing the tax. Legislation to repeal the 40% tax has garnered 295 co-sponsors in the House and 39 co-sponsors in the Senate. In December 2015, legislation to fully repeal the tax passed in the Senate with a 90-10 margin.
CancerCare programs and services help 180,000 people each year. The organization distributes 350,000 publications and welcomes 2.2 million website visits annually. In the past year, CancerCare provided nearly $13 million in financial assistance. The size and scope of CancerCare has grown tremendously since 1944, but it has never wavered from its mission of providing help and hope to people affected by cancer.
The Alliance to Fight the 40 is a broad based coalition comprised of public and private sector employer organizations, consumer groups, patient advocates, unions, health care companies, businesses and other stakeholders that support employer-sponsored health coverage. This coverage is the backbone of our health care system and protects over 175 million Americans across the United States. The Alliance seeks to repeal the 40% tax on employee health benefits to ensure that employer-sponsored coverage remains an effective and affordable option for working Americans and their families.
For more information on the 40 percent Tax on Health Benefits, visit our website at www.fightthe40.com or follow us on Twitter @Fightthe40.