Congress should exempt Americans from excise tax on health care plans, says Teamsters President

Statement of Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa

"Now is the time to get this done. Teamster members have solid health care coverage, but the outrageous cost of insurance is hurting our employers and dragging down the economy.

Working families cannot afford a health care system that allows a for-profit insurance company to increase premiums by 39 percent, the way Anthem Blue Cross did in California recently.  The burden on working people is too great. The plan that Congress is considering will provide health insurance to millions of Americans who don't have it and control costs for millions more who do.

Congress should do as President Obama has proposed, and exempt all Americans from an excise tax on health care plans until 2018. It makes no sense to tax workers who receive good health care benefits in order to ensure that everyone has access to good health care. Many of these health care plans are costly because they cover older workers, or workers in dangerous professions, or a high percentage of women. Some are costly because insurance companies have monopoly power in the regions they serve.

As originally proposed, 80 percent of the people affected by the excise tax would not be members of unions. We fought against this tax on behalf of all working people -- union and nonunion -- because it was the right thing to do."