IT'S NOW OR NEVER ON HEALTHCARE

Western New York--  Today, the Senate is moving forward with a 40% tax on employer-based "Cadillac" health care plans. Many of us CSEA members are covered under those plans:

The Senate proposes to tax health benefits that are in excess of $23,000 for a family policy and $8,500 for an individual policy. These totals include both the employee and employer contribution and also include the total cost of health, dental, and vision benefits and any health savings account that you may have.

So what can we do? The time to act is now! Wednesday, January 13 is National Call-In Day---call AND email your congressperson to let him/her know that we will not accept a tax on healthcare benefits!

Our alternative: The House of Representatives’ bill (The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), is much better for working families and contains no tax on health benefits. Instead, it proposes a reasonable tax surcharge on individuals who make more than $500,000 and couples who make more than $1 million annually.  Let your representative know you support this legislation.

 Senators:

Gillibrand, Kirsten E. - (D - NY)
478 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-4451

Schumer, Charles E. - (D - NY)
313 Hart Senate Office Building, Washigton, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-6542

U.S. House:

Dan Maffei
New York-25th, Democrat
1630 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-3225
Phone: (202) 225-3701

Chris Lee
New York-26th, Republican
1711 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-3226
Phone: (202) 225-5265

Louise Slaughter
New York-28th, Democrat
2469 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515-3228
Phone: (202) 225-3615

Eric Massa
New York-29th, Democrat
1208 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515-3229
Phone: (202) 225-3161

For more newsworthy information about this development, read Steve Greenhouse in the New York Times. The article is titled, Unions Rally to Oppose a Tax on Health Insurance.