Comments on: Taxing the Poor http://healthblog.ncpa.org/taxing-the-poor/ Health Care Policy and Reform Insights | NCPA Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Roger Beauchamp http://healthblog.ncpa.org/taxing-the-poor/comment-page-1/#comment-11396 Roger Beauchamp Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:45:10 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taxing-the-poor/#comment-11396 Here is another way we do not treat those who have less fairly in health care policy. Those dollars that are earned by employees and allocated to health care benefit programs escape the payroll tax as well as the income tax. This means that citizens, working in corporate America, with the best paying jobs and thus the best ability to provide for their basic needs escape all taxes on money dedicated to this need. All others start paying the payroll tax with the first dollar earned. If we want to promote personal responsibility, why not return the payroll tax for low income people that they are paying up to an established cap. Have the employer direct deposit it into a Health Financing Account under their name and social security number. The spending from this account would be limited to IRS qualified medical expenses and insurance premium payment. The employee can then voluntarily decide how much, up to the cap, they wish to exclude from income tax. I hope Devon Herrick shared our discussion with you. If we fail to get a much higher percentage of health care dollars under the primary control of our citizens,forcing fee and cost transparency, costs will continue to rise at an unacceptable rate reinforcing the single payer goal. Here is another way we do not treat those who have less fairly in health care policy. Those dollars that are earned by employees and allocated to health care benefit programs escape the payroll tax as well as the income tax. This means that citizens, working in corporate America, with the best paying jobs and thus the best ability to provide for their basic needs escape all taxes on money dedicated to this need. All others start paying the payroll tax with the first dollar earned. If we want to promote personal responsibility, why not return the payroll tax for low income people that they are paying up to an established cap. Have the employer direct deposit it into a Health Financing Account under their name and social security number. The spending from this account would be limited to IRS qualified medical expenses and insurance premium payment. The employee can then voluntarily decide how much, up to the cap, they wish to exclude from income tax. I hope Devon Herrick shared our discussion with you. If we fail to get a much higher percentage of health care dollars under the primary control of our citizens,forcing fee and cost transparency, costs will continue to rise at an unacceptable rate reinforcing the single payer goal.

]]> By: Camille Miller http://healthblog.ncpa.org/taxing-the-poor/comment-page-1/#comment-11261 Camille Miller Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:05:45 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taxing-the-poor/#comment-11261 Provocative as always! Provocative as always!

]]> By: Dr. Bob http://healthblog.ncpa.org/taxing-the-poor/comment-page-1/#comment-11260 Dr. Bob Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:05:01 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taxing-the-poor/#comment-11260 VERY INTERESTING and insightful. We were away last week and a cigarette vending machine was selling cigarettes at $6/pack in a restaurant. Is there a solution that will keep the poor from buying lottery tickets and from smoking? What has happened to the American dream that says if you work hard you can better your position in life? VERY INTERESTING and insightful. We were away last week and a cigarette vending machine was selling cigarettes at $6/pack in a restaurant.

Is there a solution that will keep the poor from buying lottery tickets and from smoking? What has happened to the American dream that says if you work hard you can better your position in life?

]]> By: Pat King http://healthblog.ncpa.org/taxing-the-poor/comment-page-1/#comment-11209 Pat King Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:33:20 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taxing-the-poor/#comment-11209 A very good point, although I think the current debate about expanding SCHIP is more complex than that. It is very true that some clever folks will figure out that covering their kids under the SCHIP program costs less than covering them under other options available to them. Just another example of the perverse incentives that reign in the health care sector. Another example is the outcry over hospitals billing the uninsured for more than what they collect from insurance companies. In response to the lawsuits about this, many hospitals have created automatic discounts for the uninsured - but have worried that if this continues, why would anyone buy insurance? A very good point, although I think the current debate about expanding SCHIP is more complex than that. It is very true that some clever folks will figure out that covering their kids under the SCHIP program costs less than covering them under other options available to them. Just another example of the perverse incentives that reign in the health care sector.

Another example is the outcry over hospitals billing the uninsured for more than what they collect from insurance companies. In response to the lawsuits about this, many hospitals have created automatic discounts for the uninsured – but have worried that if this continues, why would anyone buy insurance?

]]> By: University Update - John Edwards - Taxing the Poor http://healthblog.ncpa.org/taxing-the-poor/comment-page-1/#comment-11177 University Update - John Edwards - Taxing the Poor Mon, 09 Jul 2007 20:49:08 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taxing-the-poor/#comment-11177 [...] Wesley Clark Link to Article john edwards Taxing the Poor » Posted at The John Goodman Health Blog on Monday, July 09, 2007 Taxing the Poor On Christmas Day 2002, Jack Whittaker won the lottery. He won big ... for the Washington Post. What about Paul Krugman? Zippo. Bob Herbert? Nada. John Edwards? Zilch View Entire Article » [...] [...] Wesley Clark Link to Article john edwards Taxing the Poor » Posted at The John Goodman Health Blog on Monday, July 09, 2007 Taxing the Poor On Christmas Day 2002, Jack Whittaker won the lottery. He won big … for the Washington Post. What about Paul Krugman? Zippo. Bob Herbert? Nada. John Edwards? Zilch View Entire Article » [...]

]]> By: Amy Ridenour http://healthblog.ncpa.org/taxing-the-poor/comment-page-1/#comment-11174 Amy Ridenour Mon, 09 Jul 2007 18:55:23 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/taxing-the-poor/#comment-11174 Excellent post. Excellent post.

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