ND Business, National Groups Overwhelmingly Support Heitkamp Bill to Keep Health Care Coverage, Premiums Affordable for ND Families & Businesses

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 -- The office of Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., issued the following news release:

Since U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp introduced her bill last month to reduce the burden of the Health Insurance Tax, business groups, health care advocates, individuals, and families from across the country and the state have demonstrated an outpouring of support for her legislation.

The Health Insurance Tax is a fee that directly impacts health care affordability for families and small businesses. By delaying the tax for two years, and making it tax deductible going forward should the fee go into effect - Heitkamp's bill aims to mitigate the negative impact the tax would have on almost 71,000 small businesses and nearly 200,000 workers who would see their premiums increase and the certainty of access to affordable health services diminish. Across the country, 156 million consumers would be impacted by the tax - which has been delayed by Congress on a bipartisan basis. After Congress delayed the Health Insurance Tax in 2015, consumers nationwide benefited from an average reduction on their health care premiums of three percent. Heitkamp has long supported delaying the tax in favor of practical solutions that work better for North Dakota families and businesses.

"North Dakotans are working hard to keep their businesses and their families healthy and strong - but when they can't count on how they're going to be taxed, their ability to do that becomes constrained," said Heitkamp. "My bill would to delay and mitigate the impact of the Health Insurance Tax so we're better supporting families and businesses. It's encouraging that across the state and country, I've heard an outpouring of support for my bill from businesses, individuals, and families alike because they need stable premiums and health care costs they can rely on. For years, I've been offering proposals to make the health reform law work better for North Dakota families and businesses, and this bill builds on those efforts."

In North Dakota, Heitkamp has received support for her bill from the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber, North Dakota business groups including: The North Dakota Association of Builders, the North Dakota Retail Association, the North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association, the North Dakota Propane Gas Association, the North Dakota Farmers Union, the Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo Chamber of Commerce, the Grand Forks & East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, the Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation, the NewKota Service and Rentals, and the North Dakota Watchdog Network.

Heitkamp has also received support from North Dakota businesses including of Juniper Environmental Consulting in Bismarck, Trail King Industries in West Fargo, and Cookies For You in Minot, as well as North Dakota state lawmakers from both sides of the aisle - including Republican North Dakota State Representative Bob Martinson of District 35 and Democratic North Dakota State Senator Erin Oban of District 35.

Across the country, other supporters of the bill include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Better Medicare Alliance, the Healthcare Leadership Council, and the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU).

"At the North Dakota Association of Builders, we represent more than 2,000 small business owners - that means everyone from home builders to plumbers to painters who dedicate their careers to making sure North Dakota families have a safe and pleasant place to call home. And at the heart of every business, particularly for construction or seasonal jobs, the future of their livelihood depends on their ability to plan ahead," said North Dakota Association of Builders Chief Executive Officer of Kim Schneider. "That's why Senator Heitkamp's bill to delay the Health Insurance Tax by two years - and then make it tax deductible after that - is so critical to our small businesses. Instead of waiting with the potential of a new tax looming, our home builders, plumbers, and painters will be able to plan ahead and build for the future of their businesses - and the homes of North Dakota families."

"As a small business owner, I try to do right by providing quality health care to my employees. The unpredictability in health care is making that harder, especially if we are going to be hit with this new Health Insurance Tax on the benefits we do provide," said Beth Nodland, President and CEO of Juniper Environmental Consulting in Bismarck, North Dakota. "This HIT tax - which until now has been delayed - will raise the cost of our health care even more and give our business nothing back in return. I appreciate Senator Heitkamp's work on health care, listening to small business owners like me, and supporting a two-year delay of the HIT tax. I urge Congress to support a delay of the HIT. It's a reasonable way to help lower costs and ensure that small business owners like myself can continue to provide for our employees and their families."

"The Health Insurance Tax not only raises the cost of health care for small businesses owners, and the employees we provide for, it also keeps us from investing in our employees, and our company," said Perry Lubbers, Vice President of Manufacturing Operations at Trail King Industries in West Fargo, North Dakota. "Every dollar paid for the Health Insurance Tax is one less dollar than we can use to provide raises, hire additional employees, and invest in our business. If Congress wants to help small businesses grow, one of the best things they can do is pass another delay of the Health Insurance Tax."

Heitkamp has long sought ways to make sure the health reform law works better for families and businesses. Over the past few months, Heitkamp met with a group of Republican and Democratic senators led by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), as well as governors, insurance commissioners, patients, and insurers, to talk about health care reforms. In mid-October, they announced a bipartisan deal that would help make health care more affordable and accessible for families, and restore federal funding for outreach and enrollment for 2018 and 2019 open enrollment. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a report stating that the bill would prevent increases in uninsured Americans and reduce the deficit by $4 billion over 10 years.

Earlier this month, Heitkamp launched a new webpage to help North Dakota individuals, families and small businesses to sign up for or change health insurance as health care open enrollment starts and lasts through December 15.

Over the past three and a half years, Heitkamp has offered many reforms that would help the current health reform law work better for families and businesses. Since 2013, Heitkamp has also met regularly with her health care advisory board - comprised of health care leaders across North Dakota - to talk with them about health care in the state and improving the health reform law.

This document was posted showing the date: Nov. 16, 2017.