Senate votes to appeal Obamacare Cadillac tax
The Senate voted 90-10 to repeal Obamacare’s “Cadillac tax” on high-cost health plans, a rare instance of bipartisanship around the contentious healthcare law.
The amendment was attached to a bill designed to repeal the Affordable Care Act of 2010. That law provides for the tax on health insurance plans costing more than $10,200 a year for individuals and $27,450 a year for families to begin in 2018. Employers will be taxed 40 percent of the cost above those limits.
President Obama is expected to veto this latest attempt to dismantle his signature achievement.
Defenders of the tax say it gives employers an incentive to support payment reforms and efficiencies to bring down the cost of healthcare. It also aims to increase cost-sharing from employees, giving them an incentive to seek out more efficient, lower-cost care.
All four GOP presidential candidates in the Senate--Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul--voted in favor of the bill.
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.