In May of 2011 the U.S. House passed a bill that would have prevented small businesses from having access to health insurance tax credits available under Obamacare or forced them to change health insurance plans. The issue was health services related to any type of procedure related to abortions.
I participated in a press conference at the U.S. Capitol outlining our opposition to this bill. The legislation passed the House but was not even considered by the Senate.
That same bill has been reintroduced in the House with action expected shortly. Below is my letter to the appropriate Congressional offices again stating our opposition.
January 14, 2014
The Honorable Dave Camp, Chairman
Committee on Ways and Means
1102 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Sander Levin, Ranking
Member
Committee on Ways and Means
1106 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Pat Tiberi, Chairman
Subcommittee on Select Revenue
Measures
1136 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Richard E. Neal, Ranking
Member
Subcommittee on Select Revenue
Measures
2208 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Re: H.R.7
Dear Chairman Camp, Chairman Tiberi, Ranking Member Levin and Ranking Member
Neal,
After decades of escalating group health insurance premiums and demands for
Congressional action for relief, our smallest of businesses finally were given the
opportunity for federal health insurance tax credits through the Affordable Care Act.
Now H.R 7 threatens to erase this benefit for small businesses because it would eliminate
the health insurance tax credits for any existing or new plans that provide coverage for
abortion.
The problems H.R. 7 would cause for small businesses that are trying to do the right thing
and offer health insurance have nothing to do with the ideological intent of this bill. Even if a small business owner
were to agree with the intent, the cost in time, money and continuity of policy is very significant.
1. Small business owners do not have the expertise to closely examine healthcare
plans to determine if abortion coverage is included. Such services are not labeled
“abortion” but rather fall into numerous clauses in a health care policy from
prescription drugs to outpatient surgery to maternity care that includes unforeseen
complications. Small business owners are no more prepared to completely
understand the fine print of their health insurance policies than are members of
Congress.
2. Requiring a small business owner to try to understand the intricacies of their
health insurance policies would require considerable time on their own or with an
insurance agent (who also probably has no idea how to interpret the verbiage in
the policy as it relates to abortion). Essentially H.R. 7 will cause a small
employer to divert time from running the business. And if time is money, as we
are all told, then H.R. 7 will be an increase in cost for small businesses offering
health insurance.
3. Small businesses that finally determine that their health insurance policy does in
fact cover even one abortion service will be financially punished in one of two
ways. Either they can keep their present policy and lose thousands of dollars in
hard won tax credits or they will give up their current health plan and most likely
have to pay higher premiums for a new plan.
H.R. 7 is simply a slap in the face to the millions of small businesses now offering health
insurance to employees and eligible for the new tax credits. Targeting small businesses
for such punitive action, while ignoring big businesses that also receive tax benefits when
offering health insurance, demonstrates a callous disregard for the “backbone of our
economy,” as members of Congress love to proclaim about small businesses.
Sincerely,
Frank Knapp, Jr.
President & CEO