While the House and Senate have each passed their versions of tax reform proposals, there are still steps before the bill becomes law, which means that there is still time for us to raise our voices!
While the tax bills would have many effects on our nation’s tax code, they also include several provisions that are particularly important for people with bleeding disorders and other high-cost, chronic conditions.
We need everyone to call their Senators and Representative now and share how the tax reform proposal will harm the bleeding disorders community!
Policies Important to Bleeding Disorders Community:
- Repeal of the Individual Mandate: The tax bill would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) individual mandate to save money and achieve a key ACA repeal goal. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates mandate repeal will result in 13 million fewer people having health insurance coverage. This will further destabilize the health insurance market, raising premiums for people with bleeding disorders and others who need to maintain coverage. Please oppose this harmful result!
- Reduction of the Orphan Drug Tax Credit: The tax bill would slash the Orphan Drug Tax Credit, which helps promote clinical research and the development of drugs for patients with rare conditions. Changing the tax credit could hamper drug research and development and lead to fewer available treatments for rare disease patient communities. Please oppose this harmful result!
- Increase of the Standard Deduction: The tax bill would nearly double the standard deduction and, as a result, fewer individuals will itemize their deductions. Experts predict that this change will lead to significantly less charitable giving. As bleeding disorders organizations depend on charitable donations from individuals, this proposal may negatively affect fundraising efforts. Please oppose this harmful result!
Take Action Today!
First, go here to get contact information for your Senators and Representative. Then call their offices and use these bullet points to guide your comments. Feel free to add any personal comments about these proposals.
- I am one of your constituents, and I am calling to discuss tax reform.
- I/my loved one is affected by a bleeding disorder, which means that I have very high medical expenses and need access to affordable, comprehensive health insurance
- I am very concerned that the tax reform bills would harm my family. Please do not support a final bill that:
- Repeals the individual mandate, since that will destabilize the health insurance market and increase costs for people who need insurance like me.
- Changes the orphan drug tax credit, which leads to more development of drugs for rare diseases, like bleeding disorders.
- Reduces the deduction for medical expenses, which would increase costs for people with high medical bills.
- Finally, I’m concerned about how the increase in the standard deduction will affect charitable giving for nonprofits like patient advocacy groups, which use donations to provide education and support services for millions of Americans.
NHF and HFA are continuing to monitor the progress of tax reform and will update the community as the debate moves forward.
