6.09.23 – Tell Congress to Reauthorize the Health Coverage Tax Credit

Tell Congress to Reauthorize
the Health Coverage Tax Credit

Friday, June 9, 2023

APFA supports the reauthorization of the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) which expired on 12/31/21. Flight Attendants who lost their pensions during bankruptcy have struggled to afford basic healthcare costs. The HCTC provides refundable tax credits to retired workers whose pensions have been taken over by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to help cover the cost of health insurance premiums. The tax credit applies to retirees who are between the ages of 55-65 who need a bridge to Medicare eligibility. The HCTC has helped retired and soon-to-retire APFA members with PBGC pensions who have already suffered through airline bankruptcies. Basic healthcare costs should not delay someone’s decision to retire, and PBGC holders should not be faced with further hardship. Tell Congress they are overdue to reauthorize the HCTC!

“The HCTC is absolutely critical to keeping healthcare costs manageable for our Flight Attendants who will retire with PBGC pensions. These are workers who already lost retiree medical benefits during airline bankruptcies and have been relegated to reduced pension formulas under the PBGC. However, the HCTC will help reduce some of the financial burden for those between ages 55 and Medicare eligibility. Workers should not have to worry about the cost of basic healthcare.” – Julie Hedrick, National President, Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA)

The Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) Reauthorization Act of 2023 (H.R. 2914) introduced by Representatives Mike Turner (OH-10), Jared Golden (ME-02), Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and Dan Kildee (MI-08) on 4/26/23 would extend the HCTC through 2027 and be retroactive to 1/1/2022.

Representative Dan Kildee (MI-08) also introduced the Bob von Schwedler Permanent Health Coverage Tax Credit Expansion Act (H.R. 3912) on 6/7/23 which would permanently extend the HCTC and provide retroactivity to 1/1/2022. This bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Elissa Slotkin (MI-07), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Gwen Moore (MI-04) and Terri Sewell (AL-07).

Ask your elected representatives to co-sponsor these bills!

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Sample letter:

Please support retired workers by reauthorizing the Health Coverage Tax Credit. The HCTC provides refundable tax credits to cover more than 70 percent of the cost of health insurance premiums for certain retirees whose pensions have been taken over by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and applies only to retirees who are between the ages of 55-65 who need a bridge to Medicare eligibility. Flight Attendants who lost their pensions during bankruptcy have since faced challenges affording basic healthcare. The bipartisan HCTC expired at the end of 2021 due to political gridlock and retirees have since been saddled by rising healthcare costs.

The HCTC is supported by Representatives Mike Turner (OH-10), Jared Golden (ME-02), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), and Dan Kildee (MI-08). Please consider co-sponsoring the bipartisan HCTC reauthorization bill.

In Unity,

Allie Malis
APFA Government Affairs Specialist
[email protected]

Lori Vitto-Glattly
APFA Government Affairs Specialist
[email protected]

Kim Tuck
APFA Retirement Specialist
[email protected]