09.17.15

Alaska Senators Co-Sponsor Legislation to Repeal “Cadillac Tax”

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Alaska Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski joined Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) in introducing S. 2045, the Middle Class Health Benefits Tax Repeal Act of 2015.  This bipartisan legislation will fully repeal tax provisions on high-cost insurance plans in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) known as the “Cadillac Tax”.  Beginning in 2018, the “Cadillac Tax” would tax employers whose health insurance plans cost more than $10,200 a year for individuals and $27,450 a year for families at 40 percent of the cost above those limits.

“I have opposed the Affordable Care Act from day one, because the numbers simply don’t pencil out for Alaska—a sparsely populated state with limited providers. The ‘Cadillac Tax’ is yet another example of major flaws within the ACA that prove this health care law is far from affordable,” said Senator Murkowski. “Alaskans have already been feeling the pinch from rising health care costs, and this tax would place yet another financial burden on Alaskans that I’m just not willing to accept. This mislabeled ‘Cadillac Tax’ will have drastic impacts in our state and across the country, and I’m happy to support legislation that would repeal it.” 

“This legislation will repeal one of the many provisions found within ObamaCare – the ‘Cadillac Tax’ – which if implemented, will be a catastrophe for Alaskans who rely on employer-based health care,” said Senator Sullivan.  “Beginning in 2018, this tax will hit Alaskans harder than people in any other state, and will only place additional hardships on Alaskans by making healthcare more expensive and inaccessible.  Today, I am pleased to join a bipartisan group of senators to repeal this tax and look forward to working on patient-centered, market-based healthcare reforms.”