- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
When An Employer Drops Coverage, Workers Lose Their Tax Advantages
With just a year to go before the most significant changes under the Affordable Care Act take effect, readers have many questions about how the law will affect them.
Q. My employer, with over 3,000 employees, is holding meetings with us explaining the health-care law and how expensive it is going to be for us and for them. My employer is saying it will likely drop our insurance and make us buy our own. Will the insurance premiums still be a pre-tax payment? Are there affordable options for me and my family?
A. If your employer drops your health insurance coverage and you have to buy your own plan, you would no longer be able to pay your premium with pre-tax dollars. That tax "exclusion" -- your health insurance benefits are excluded from taxable income -- cost the federal government an estimated $240 billion in 2010, according to an analysis by the Urban Institute. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have suggested eliminating it, but Congress has not taken action on this.
Read the full story: http://bit.ly/Ws37eu
Source: Kaiser Health News
Stuck in Prior Auth Purgatory: The Hidden Costs of Health Care Delays
June 19th 2025Delays, denials, and endless paperwork—prior authorization isn’t just a headache for providers; it’s a barrier for patients who need timely care, explains Colin Banas, MD, MHA, chief medical officer with DrFirst.
Listen
From Red Tape to Relief: Rewriting the Rules of Prior Authorization
June 23rd 2025Up to 257 million Americans could benefit from these prior authorization reforms that could have cross-market implications on health care plans administered through commercial insurers, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid.
Read More
10 Years of Coverage Gains Threatened by Proposed Federal Policy Changes, Report Finds
June 18th 2025The country has seen historic reductions in uninsured rates and improvements in affordability since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the Commonwealth Fund scorecard shows.
Read More
