WASHINGTON, DC—Disappointed with the outcome of today’s committee vote, AARP will continue to strongly support including the medical expense deduction in H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.  

The medical expense deduction is used by millions of middle income Americans, the majority of whom are over age 65 and over two-thirds of whom have incomes under $75,000. Getting rid of the deduction amounts to a health tax.

After Congressman John Larson (CT-1)’s amendment to restore the deduction failed during the Ways and Means Committee’s markup of H.R.1, AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond pledged to continue to seek a bi-partisan solution to the onerous health tax and said:

“Eliminating the medical expense deduction would be a huge burden for millions of Americans with high medical costs – especially middle income seniors,” said LeaMond.  “AARP backs the efforts of Rep. Larson and others to remove this harmful provision from the bill and urges the House to support protection of the medical expense deduction.   

“Beyond this important amendment, we also urge Congress to work together  to find common sense solutions that make the tax code fair for all Americans, added LeaMond.”

The vote comes one day after AARP and 37 other major patient and consumer groups sent a letter in opposition to the health tax proposal.

AARP recently explained the harmful effects of the health tax in a blog post here and gave specific dollar impacts by state here.

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About AARP
AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 38 million members and offices in every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, AARP works to strengthen communities and advocate for what matters most to families with a focus on health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.