Greetings,

The health care reform bill being considered by the Senate Finance Committee would impose a draconian 40 percent tax on health care plans costing more than certain amounts. This would hit many plans negotiated by the UAW for workers and retirees. It would add thousands of dollars a year to the cost of health insurance coverage and put intense pressure on these plans to slash benefits for workers and retirees.

This misguided tax is fundamentally unfair. It would not fall just on "gold-plated" plans for CEOs. Instead, it would unfairly penalize plans that happen to cover older workers and retirees, and people who live in high-cost areas or work in hazardous jobs.

President Obama's vision for health care reform is to keep what works -- including the good coverage that is now enjoyed by millions of workers and retirees. But the tax on health care plans proposed by the Senate Finance Committee would undermine that vision. The bills approved by other congressional committees -- including the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and three House committees -- reject this type of unfair tax on health care plans. Instead, they pay for health care reform through provisions requiring employers and wealthy individuals to pay their fair share toward the cost of health care.

Please contact your senators right away. Urge them to oppose the unfair, dangerous tax on health care plans in the Finance Committee bill. Tell them this would cause millions of workers and retirees to lose good health care coverage that they currently enjoy. Urge your senators to insist that any health care legislation considered by the entire Senate must NOT include any tax on health care plans.

You can use the following toll-free number to call your senators: (866) 960-0611.

Thanks in advance for your efforts on this priority issue.