Local HCAN coalitions in New York City, the Capital District, and the Southern Tier held events to called on their members of Congress to pass H.R. 3200 before the summer recess.
In New York City, the rally was held on the steps of City Hall. The group called on Rep. McMahon to join with other Democrats to support H.R. 3200, and its surcharge on family income above $350,000, which would prevent taxing of middle income families health benefits.
In the Capital District, HCAN members led by Citizen Action of New York, rallied in front of Congressman Scott Murphy’s office on Broadway in Saratoga Springs.
Both Reps. McMahon and Murphy expressed concerns about the high-income surcharge included in H.R. 3200 – a surcharge that would affect only about 1.8% of New Yorkers.
In Binghamton, members called on Congressman Arcuri to support H.R. 3200 as well.
At the same time, two new reports were released:
- Health Insurance Coverage in New York Keeps Shrinking as Premiums, Family Costs Continue Climbing
- Three Proposals to Pay for Health Care Reform without Hurting Struggling Families in New York
The first report, by Health Care for America Now, shows that health insurance premiums for New York working families have gone up 97% between 2000 and 2007, a period in which New Yorkers’ median earnings went up only 11%. The HCAN report finds that health care will become increasingly unaffordable without reform: while the full cost of employer-sponsored insurance now equals 25 percent of median family income in New York that number will grow to 47 percent by 2016 if meaningful health reform doesn’t pass, pricing more and more New Yorkers out of the health insurance market.
The second report, by Citizens for Tax Justice, found that a proposal in H.R. 3200 to impose an income tax surcharge on married couples with an adjusted gross income of $350,000 ($280,000 for single taxpayers) would affect only 1.8% of New York taxpayers. Nationally, the surcharge would raise $543 billion to fund health care for all with a high-quality public health insurance option.
Citizen Action of New York supporters have been signing a petition that will be sent to the New York Congressional Delegation urging them to vote on H.R. 3200 before they go back to their districts for the summer recess. Click here to add your name to the petition now!
Here’s a video from today’s event in Saratoga Springs: