Senate looking at taxing employer provided health insurance

[9 Nines]

I saw this report on CNBC.  It is also being reported on Fox Business, so I am linking the Fox Business report on it:   http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/06/02/gop-senators-weigh-taxing-employer-health-plans.html

Senate Republicans set on reworking the Affordable Care Act are considering taxing employer-sponsored health insurance plans, a move that would meet stiff resistance from companies and potentially raise taxes on millions of people who get coverage on the job.

The move could raise billions in revenue that could be used to help stabilize the fragile individual insurance market. But it could be politically risky, since it could expand the impact of GOP health proposals from Medicaid recipients and those who buy insurance on their own to the roughly 177 million people who get coverage through their employers. 

A number of lawmakers are open to the idea, including Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah), GOP aides said, but there is no consensus yet on whether it should be included in the draft bill being written during this week's congressional recess. 

 

I can not believe republican senators would really do this, but as the report states, aids stated that some republican senators are favoring it, even naming one of them. This is telling on where republican priorities are; they would explore taxing most employees on something those people have never been taxed just for their lust to cut taxes on wealthy people. 

[abenjami]

Not to mention, people would have to pay the tax out of pocket.

[Titans279]

This won't happen because it'd be incredibly unpopular with voters, but from what I've heard it's pretty universally accepted as the better policy by policy people on both side of the aisle.

[pat]

Salary negotiation is hard, everyone would have to recalibrate their expectations.  It'd be a lot of work.