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Benefits October 14, 2005
Voters Reject Idea of Taxing Health Care
October 14, 2005 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Concurrent
surveys in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina found that
voters are opposed to eliminating or reducing the employer
deduction for health care benefits in return for lower
overall tax rates.
Reported by Rebecca Moore
A press release from America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) said that more than nine out of ten voters from both parties and in all three states say they support keeping health care benefits free from taxation rather than taxing health care benefits to pay for reductions in other taxes. Two thirds of the voters surveyed fear that eliminating or reducing the employer deduction for health care benefits could lead their employer to drop health care coverage.
“Our polling consistently shows that voters want Congress to strengthen, not weaken, tax incentives that help individuals and employers afford health care coverage,” said Karen Ignagni, President of AHIP, in the release. “Voters are sending a strong message that they don’t want the IRS coming between them and their health care.”
The surveys found that health care is a primary domestic concern of voters. Among all domestic issues other than Hurricane Katrina recovery, health care ranked first in Iowa and New Hampshire, and second in South Carolina.