Council for Affordable Health Insurance Says Bush Health Care Reform Proposal Good for Country

The Council for Affordable Health Insurance says thatast night in his State of the Union Address, President Bush took a bold and innovative step toward creating tax equity, calling for an end to the employee tax exclusion for health insurance and replacing it with a standard tax deduction. The Council for Affordable Health Insurance is saying that the Bush Healthcare Reform Proposal is good for the country and good for the States.

Under the current system, taxpayers subsidize employer-provided health insurance, with the biggest subsidies going to the richest health insurance policies. Meanwhile, workers whose employers don’t provide health insurance – – usually lower-income employees who can least afford it — get no tax break at all. The president’s plan would end that disparity.

In addition, the president plans to create his Affordable Choices Initiative to help states provide basic private health insurance at an affordable price, and to move to a system where Americans can “own” their health plan. The Council for Affordable Health Insurance has a number of resources available on our website to guide policymakers on how to do just that.

— “Health Insurance Mandates in the States” identifies every state
mandate in the country — all 1,843 of them — and estimates how much
cost they add to a health insurance policy.

— “State Health Insurance Index” assesses each state’s health insurance
environment. Which states do the best job of ensuring people have
access to a wide range of affordable health insurance options? This
publication identifies them and explains why.

— “State Legislators’ Guide to Health Insurance Solutions” provides a
short explanation of some of the most important state health insurance
issues and what state legislators can do to solve those problems.

Founded in 1992, CAHI is a non-profit research and advocacy association whose mission is to develop and promote free market solutions to America’s health care challenges. CAHI’s membership includes health insurance companies (active in the individual, small group, HSA and senior markets), small businesses, physicians, actuaries and insurance brokers.

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