The Opinion Pages | LETTER
End ‘Cadillac’ Health Tax
OCT. 14,
2015
To the Editor:
Re
“Don’t Repeal the Cadillac Tax,” by Ezekiel J.
Emanuel and Bob Kocher (Op-Ed, Oct. 2): Proponents of the so-called Cadillac
tax cite its potential to curtail health spending and raise significant revenue
as arguments to keep this provision in place.
In
2009 and 2010, it was billed as a tax on only the most expensive and lavish
health plans, those enjoyed by high-paid chief executives. But the reality
facing workers and employers today demonstrates that older workers, women and
employees in high-cost regions will bear the brunt of this tax penalty.
The
Affordable Care Act was intended to expand access to quality health insurance
and care while controlling costs by rewarding value instead of quantity. By
penalizing contributions to flexible spending accounts and on-site wellness
clinics, and encouraging higher deductibles — which will deter patients from
seeking preventive and primary care — the Cadillac tax undermines those goals.
Finally,
the theoretical $91 billion in revenue generated by the Cadillac tax is a pipe
dream. According to the Congressional Budget Office, three-quarters of that
revenue would be generated through income and payroll taxes. I challenge Dr.
Emanuel to find an average worker who believes the theory that employers would
issue broad wage increases to compensate workers for reduced health benefits.
The
Cadillac tax is bad policy that creates bad incentives in our health care
system. That is why I am leading a bipartisan effort in the House to repeal the Cadillac
tax before it damages the progress we have made since the
Affordable Care Act was signed into law.
JOE
COURTNEY
Vernon,
Conn.
The writer, a Democrat, represents Connecticut’s Second
District.
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