August 19, 2009
Dr. Bob Carroll of the Tax Foundation: Health Care Reform
Even during Congress's August recess, the debate on health care reform continues to make headlines. The focus seemingly has shifted from a proposed surtax on the wealthy to fund an expansion in coverage to whether a public option insurance plan is "essential" to reform. But one issue has not received as much attention: the tax treatment of employer-provided health insurance.
In this week's podcast, Tax Foundation Manager of Media Relations Natasha Altamirano interviews Tax Foundation Senior Fellow Bob Carroll, Ph.D., on health care reform, how to pay for it, and the economic consequences of high tax rates.
Read Tax Foundation Special Report No. 170, "The Excess Burden of Taxes and the Economic Cost of High Tax Rates" or the shorter Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact No. 186 based on the same data, "Towards Understanding the Full Burden of High Tax Rates." Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact No. 178, "If Health Surtax Is 5.4 Percent, Taxpayers in 39 States Would Pay a Top Tax Rate Over 50%," contains more analysis of the proposed health care surtax.
To listen to the podcast: Play the audio above or right-click on the audio file below, and select "Save Target As."
