Last night, acknowledging discussions among House Republicans about taxing employer-provided health benefits to pay for tax cuts, the President of the American Benefits Council and the Chair of UNITE HERE Health released an op-ed entitled “Congress Must Reject Taxing Employer-Provided Health Care Coverage.” The op-ed coincided with the release of a detailed Ernst & Young analysis commissioned by the American Benefits Council and The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (which can be accessed here) examining the impact of proposals to cap the tax exclusion for employment-based health coverage at the 75th percentile of premiums. The study finds this would result in:
- 75,000 fewer U.S. jobs each year for 10 years, growing over time to 240,000 fewer jobs annually outside of Congress’ 10-year budget window.
- A $75 billion reduction in after-tax employee compensation each year for 10 years, growing to $280 billion less annually after-tax employee compensation.
- A $10 billion reduction in U.S. gross domestic product each year for 10 years, growing over time to $40 billion annually.
There is also a one page infographic distilling key takeaways from the Ernst & Young study (which can be accessed here).