Please Call Speaker DiMasi and Your State Representative TODAY!
On Monday, October 31, the Legislature's Joint Committee on Health Care Financing released the House of Representative's version of health care reform legislation - House Bill 4463. Debate is expected to begin on this tomorrow (Thursday 11/3/05).
Contained in the measure is a tax on employers of 11 or more employees, 91% of who already provide health insurance coverage for their workers and families. Sections 30, 31 and 32 of the bill call for a new payroll tax of between 5 & 7%, based on the number of employees, with an offset for company-paid health insurance costs.
The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce board of directors voted this morning to oppose these sections of the plan and ask you to contact The Speaker of the House and your State Representative immediately and ask that this tax provision be removed. (A call is more effective than an email!) While most portions of the legislation are fine, the funding plan is not.
For clarification, this payroll tax is for companies with more than 10 employees and will be calculated as a percentage of payroll, less the funds spent on employee health care. When fully implemented, the payroll tax rate will be 5% for companies with fewer than 100 employees, and 7% for companies with more than 100 employees. We are particularly concerned for companies whose employee mix includes part-time workers who do not receive their insurance through their employer, retirees in the workforce who are covered by Medicare and employees who are covered by a spouse’s policy through another employer.
The burden of this payroll tax will fall on our small and medium sized property members as well as members who have a number of entry level jobs. We are concerned that this new tax would make job creation more difficult and make the cost of doing business in the state even more expensive.
Please call Speaker Salvatore DiMasi to express your concerns at (617) 722-2500 AND your local State Representative:
Rep. Demetrius Atsalis, 617-722-2080
Rep. Susan Gifford, 617-722-2090
Rep. Shirley Gomes, 617-722-2803
Rep. Matthew Patrick, 617-722-2090
Rep. Jeffrey Perry, 617-722-2396
Rep. Eric Turkington, 617-722-2015
Rep. Cleon Turner, 617-722-2090
Sincerely,
Wendy K. Northcross, IOM, CCE
Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce
