36 Conservative Groups Urge Congress to Halt Obamacare’s Health Insurance and Medical Device Taxes

Thirty-six conservative and activist groups urged Congress to repeal Obamacare’s health insurance and medical device taxes before they go into effect next year.

The conservative coalition group includes prominent conservative groups such as Americans for Tax Reform, FreedomWorks, and the National Taxpayers Union (NTU).

The coalition of conservative activist groups noted that Obamacare’s health insurance and medical device taxes will both go into effect absent congressional action. Conservatives argue that burdening the American people with the health insurance and medical devices taxes remains unacceptable. The coalition letter stated, “Unless Congress acts soon, both tax increases will go into effect on January 1, 2018, leading to higher premiums and higher costs for middle-class families, seniors, and small businesses.”

Breitbart News reported that Congress delayed the health insurance until 2018. The Heritage Foundation found that if Republicans fail to repeal the health insurance tax (HIT), premiums would increase by an additional two to three percent. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the HIT will cost $12.3 billion in 2018 and collect more than $145 billion in higher taxes during the next ten years.

The American Action Forum estimated that the tax will increase premiums by almost $5,000 over a decade and that Americans making less than $50,000 will pay half of the tax.

The National Federation of Independent Business contends that the tax could cost up to 286,000 in new jobs and cost small businesses $33 billion in lost sales in the next six year.

The American Action Forum also estimated that the medical device tax would lead to more than 25,000 lost jobs by 2021.

The conservative leaders argue, “Absent full repeal, Congress must use the remaining months of the year to delay the health  insurance  tax and medical device tax so they do not go into effect in 2018 and increase taxes.”

The coalition concluded, “American families, seniors, and businesses have already been hurt by the failure to repeal Obamacare’s taxes. The last thing taxpayers need is even more taxes to go into effect.”