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The Tax Exclusion for Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance

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  • Gruber, Jonathan

Abstract

This paper reviews the issues raised by and the impacts of the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance. After reviewing the arguments for and against this policy, I present evidence from a micro-simulation model on the impacts on federal revenue, insurance coverage, and income distribution of various reforms to the exclusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Gruber, Jonathan, 2011. "The Tax Exclusion for Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 64(2), pages 511-530, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:ntj:journl:v:64:y:2011:i:2:p:511-30
    DOI: 10.17310/ntj.2011.2S.04
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Melissa A. Thomasson, 2003. "The Importance of Group Coverage: How Tax Policy Shaped U.S. Health Insurance," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(4), pages 1373-1384, September.
    2. William M. Gentry & Eric Peress, 1994. "Taxes and Fringe Benefits Offered by Employers," NBER Working Papers 4764, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    3. Gruber, Jonathan & Lettau, Michael, 2004. "How elastic is the firm's demand for health insurance?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(7-8), pages 1273-1293, July.
    4. James M. Poterba, 2002. "Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 16," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number pote02-1.
    5. James M. Poterba (ed.), 2002. "Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 16," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262661292, April.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Svetlana Pashchenko & Ponpoje Porapakkarm, 2016. "Cross-Subsidization in Employer-Based Health Insurance and the Effects of Tax Subsidy Reform," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 69(3), pages 583-612, September.
    2. Harvey S. Rosen, 2012. "Growth, Distribution, and Tax Reform: Thoughts on the Romney Proposal," Working Papers 1400, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    3. Gruber, Jonathan, 2011. "The Impacts of the Affordable Care Act: How Reasonable Are the Projections?," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 64(3), pages 893-908, September.
    4. Ines Läufer, 2014. "Unvollständige Absicherung des Krankheitskostenrisikos in den USA: Erklärungsfaktoren der Attraktivität von Arbeitgeber-Gruppenversicherungen," Otto-Wolff-Institut Discussion Paper Series 01/2014, Otto-Wolff-Institut für Wirtschaftsordnung, Köln, Deutschland.
    5. Zhigang Feng & Anne Villamil, 2022. "Funding employer-based insurance: regressive taxation and premium exclusions," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 73(2), pages 509-540, April.
    6. Coleman Drake & Lucas Higuera & Fernando Alarid-Escudero & Roger Feldman, 2017. "A Kinked Health Insurance Market: Employer-Sponsored Insurance under the Cadillac Tax," American Journal of Health Economics, MIT Press, vol. 3(4), pages 455-476, Fall.
    7. Ake Blomqvist & Frances Woolley, 2018. "Filling the Cavities: Improving the Efficiency and Equity of Canada’s Dental Care System," C.D. Howe Institute Commentary, C.D. Howe Institute, issue 510, May.
    8. Jacobs, Paul D. & Hill, Steven C., 2024. "Horizontal and vertical equity and public subsidies for private health insurance in the U.S," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 351(C).
    9. Ines Läufer, 2014. "Das Krankenversicherungssystem in den USA: Bestimmungsparameter des Angebots und der Ausgestaltungformen von Arbeitgeber-Gruppenversicherungen," Otto-Wolff-Institut Discussion Paper Series 03/2014, Otto-Wolff-Institut für Wirtschaftsordnung, Köln, Deutschland.
    10. Harvey S. Rosen, 2012. "Growth, Distribution, and Tax Reform: Thoughts on the Romney Proposal," Working Papers 1400, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    11. David Powell, 2019. "The Distortionary Effects of the Health Insurance Tax Exclusion," American Journal of Health Economics, MIT Press, vol. 5(4), pages 428-464, Fall.
    12. Amy Finkelstein & Casey McQuillan & Owen Zidar & Eric Zwick, 2023. "The Health Wedge and Labor Market Inequality," Working Papers 2023-01, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    13. Ines Läufer, 2014. "Another perspective on the high uninsured-rate in the USA: Crowding out of long term health insurance by the institutional setting of the U.S. health insurance system," Otto-Wolff-Institut Discussion Paper Series 02/2014, Otto-Wolff-Institut für Wirtschaftsordnung, Köln, Deutschland.
    14. Jonathan Gruber, 2011. "The Impacts of the Affordable Care Act: How Reasonable Are the Projections?," NBER Working Papers 17168, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Aaron, Henry J., 2011. "Social Security Reconsidered," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association;National Tax Journal, vol. 64(2), pages 385-414, June.

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