The Honorable Kevin Brady
Chairman
Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Richard Neal
Ranking Member
Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Neal:
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce appreciates your continued commitment to marking up legislation that will permit additional flexibility in plan design for high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) that may be coupled with health savings accounts (HSAs). Additionally, we applaud your efforts to also enact legislation that will suspend taxes and penalties that increase the cost of health coverage.
The Chamber has long advocated for many of the legislative changes addressed by the bills being marked-up by the Committee to improve HSA-eligible HDHPs, we have long supported bills that permit: additional preventive services to be covered on a first dollar basis; certain over-the-counter items to be considered a qualified medical expense without requiring a prescription, and; an HSA holder to make contributions even if his or her spouse has a Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
In addition to supporting legislation that will permit additional benefit and HDHP design flexibility, the Chamber has long urged Congress to repeal the employer mandate, the health insurance tax, the medical device tax and the so-called Cadillac tax outright. While we continue to advocate in favor of the outright repeal of these provisions, we strongly support the bills being marked up to provide relief in the coming years for the employer mandate and Cadillac tax. We urge the Committee and Congress to continue to delay the taxes (health insurance tax and medical device tax) that were enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act together.
The Chamber looks forward to working with the Committee to pass legislation that will permit additional coverage flexibility and benefit options and reduce taxes that increase costs.
Sincerely,
Neil L. Bradley
cc: Members of the House Committee on Ways and Means
