Friday, November 14, 2008
Health Care Payroll Tax for All is Back
The Health Care for All coalition released its 2009 legislative proposal this week that would significantly alter and expand health insurance programs in Maryland. Although we are still analyzing details of the proposal, 85 percent of the program’s funding would come from a $2.5 billion annual payroll tax on all employers. Components of the program would include:
- Combining the individual and small group health insurance markets
- Require community rating and guaranteed issue for health insurance
- Subsidizing the cost of insurance for persons with incomes under 400 percent of the federal poverty level
- An individual mandate for persons to purchase health insurance
- Expansion of Medicaid eligibility
- Reinsurance of high risk individuals
- A 2 percent payroll tax on the FICA wage base of all employers, including state and local governments
We will provide a further analysis of this proposal in upcoming weeks. See the proposal online here. Contact Ron Wineholt for further information at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
