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AHA: Senate tax bill could negatively impact Americans with CVD
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The American Heart Association issued a statement expressing concern about the Tax Cut and Jobs Act approved by the Senate.
Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA, said in a statement that the Senate’s tax reform has “three strikes against it.”
“It calls for the repeal of the health insurance mandate, it takes away charitable tax deduction from millions of Medicare and the Prevention Fund,” she said. “All of these provisions will have an impact on Americans who face the serious challenge of cardiovascular disease — and on this associations ability to serve them.”
If the health insurance mandate of the Affordable Care Act is dismantled, it would cause a heavy financial burden to Americans with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease or stroke, which may result in the loss of health care coverage for many Americans, Brown said.
By putting limitations on charitable deductions, only wealthy donors will receive exemptions on donations, causing an annual estimated $12-$20 million loss in charitable donations, Brown said.
Lastly, according to Brown, if Congress does not work promptly to waive it, the legislation will result in mandated cuts, known as sequestration, resulting in a drastic decline in Medicare support for providers. As a result, the Public Health and Prevention fund would cease to exist and the cuts would have a devastating effect on Americans who suffer from heart disease and stroke, Brown said.
“With these three strikes against it, Congress should count this bill out,” Brown concluded. “We urge the House and the Senate to emerge from conference with legislation that does not penalize Americans who need affordable health insurance, offers incentives to everyone to give to the charity of their choice, and keep intact the domestic programs that help support the heart health of our nation.”
Disclosure: Brown is an employee of the AHA.