Bill Text: TX HCR89 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Urging Congress to repeal the health insurance tax.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-08 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HCR89 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HCR89-Comm_Sub.html
84R10863 RMA-D | ||
By: Phelan, Metcalf, Wray | H.C.R. No. 89 |
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WHEREAS, Sections 9010 and 10905 of the Patient Protection | ||
and Affordable Care Act and Section 1406 of the Health Care and | ||
Education Reconciliation Act impose a new sales tax on health | ||
insurance that many policy experts agree will burden working | ||
individuals and families, small businesses, and senior citizens, | ||
contradicting a primary goal of health care reform by making | ||
coverage more expensive; and | ||
WHEREAS, Over a 10-year period, this tax will cause insurance | ||
premiums on the individual market to increase by a national average | ||
of $2,150 for single coverage and $5,080 for family coverage and by | ||
a state average of $2,128 for single coverage and $4,800 for family | ||
coverage; and | ||
WHEREAS, The health insurance tax will also | ||
disproportionately encumber small businesses through higher | ||
expenses and cost the State of Texas billions of dollars in extra | ||
government expenses; in addition, Medicaid beneficiaries will be | ||
saddled with skyrocketing premiums, which will strain budgets, | ||
decrease benefits, and potentially cause coverage disruption; and | ||
WHEREAS, Exorbitant premiums are a disincentive for people to | ||
obtain health insurance, especially younger, healthier | ||
individuals, many of whom are more likely to forgo unaffordable | ||
policies, which in turn diminishes the risk pool and makes medical | ||
care even costlier; and | ||
WHEREAS, The health insurance tax will stifle job creation, | ||
increase health care expenses, and hurt the state economy, all | ||
while leaving countless Texans without coverage and many insured | ||
citizens with decreased benefits; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the 84th Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
hereby respectfully urge the United States Congress to make health | ||
care more affordable for individuals, families, and businesses by | ||
enacting legislation to repeal the health insurance tax imposed by | ||
Sections 9010 and 10905 of the Patient Protection and Affordable | ||
Care Act and Section 1406 of the Health Care and Education | ||
Reconciliation Act; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official | ||
copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to | ||
the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of | ||
Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the | ||
members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that | ||
this resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record | ||
as a memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |