Earlier this week, the Big “I” joined forces with large coalitions to send two letters to the Trump Administration expressing support for the employer-sponsored health care system.

The Big “I” sent the first letter as part of the Alliance to Fight the 40 | Don’t Tax My Health Care coalition, and the second letter in conjunction with a number of other business-minded trade associations listed as signatories. Both letters urge the Administration to support a full and permanent repeal of the 40% “Cadillac” tax and to oppose any new taxes on health care benefits, including taxing workers by placing a cap on the current tax treatment of health care coverage.

When Americans receive their health care coverage through an employer, the cost of that coverage is “excluded” from an employee’s taxable income. However, some lawmakers want to tax employees on the cost of their health benefits if the cost exceeds certain thresholds set by Congress. The Big “I” believes that increasing taxes by capping the employee exclusion would not “alleviate the economic burden of the Affordable Care Act,” as some supporters claim—instead, it would create new ones.

The employer-sponsored health care system covers more than 177 million Americans, leading to better health outcomes, lower costs and more satisfied employees. Employers are the foundation of a health care system that provides quality health coverage, and this coverage should be the basis of any health care reform solution.

As Congress and the Administration seek to stabilize the individual market, the Big “I” will continue to advocate that it should avoid destabilizing the employer-sponsored system, which covers 10 times more Americans. 

Wyatt Stewart is Big “I” senior director of federal government affairs.