Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Why Is The 'Cadillac Tax' So Hated?
CNN Money: Why Everyone Wants To Kill Obamacare's Cadillac Tax
Companies want to kill it. Unions hate it. Republicans want to eliminate it. Some Democrats agree. We're talking about the much-reviled Obamacare Cadillac tax, which is set to levy a hefty 40% excise tax on employer health plans that are considered generous. (Luhby, 12/19)
Marketplace: What The Biggest Changes To The ACA So Far Mean
Congress is nearing a vote on a $1.1 trillion spending bill that will fund the government into next fall. It includes the biggest changes so far to one of Congressional Republicans' top legislative targets over the last half-dozen years: Obamacare. (Gorenstein, 12/17)
Bloomberg: Congress Moves To Pause Obamacare Taxes, Causing Barely A Ripple
A set of delays on Obamacare-related taxes in the new federal spending bill will give corporate earnings a modest boost but are unlikely to undo the law or produce significant changes in the health-care industry. Medical-device companies such as Medtronic Plc, health insurers like UnitedHealth Group Inc., and big employers across the U.S. have been preparing for years for a slate of new taxes under the Affordable Care Act. They’ll find it easier just to collect extra profit from a tax cut rather than undo those changes, such as job reductions and revamped health benefit plans. (Cortez and Tracer, 12/16)
The Associated Press: Employers Applaud ‘Cadillac’ Tax Delay But Still Seek Repeal
Businesses have been adjusting their benefits plans for several years now, to ease in changes that will help them avoid the tax. They’ve been raising deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses for workers. Many also are adding surcharges on the coverage of spouses who can get benefits elsewhere. (Murphy, 12/17)
