Now that we have a Democratic majority in Congress again, I’m glad to see that the issue of health care is back in the news. President Bush has decided to propose addressing the unequal health care in this country via the tax code: his proposal would provide a tax deduction for people who buy individual health insurance, and tax ‘high end’ corporate health coverage. It’s that second part that is controversial.
I’ve long held that it would not be possible to bring everyone in the U.S. up to the high standard of health care that some enjoy thanks to generous corporate benefits. But nobody wants to reduce their current level of health care.
Though I’m not sure what I think about the means he’s chosen, I do think Bush’s intention with his tax on high end benefits is to help the recipients of those benefits realize how good they have it, and, in some small way, to get them to reduce their level of health care.
Or, it could just be an excuse for big companies to lower the amount they spend on employee health insurance.
Categories: Politics