Tax Policy Center

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Expert

Linda J. Blumberg

Senior Fellow

My work focuses largely on monitoring and evaluating the effects of the implementation of health care reform, nationally and at the state level. I am acutely interested in identifying the policy decisions and other factors that affect the ability of the reforms to meet their goals. Changes to private health insurance and insurance markets, along with their interactions with public programs, are my primary focus.

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Brief
Individual Taxes

Updated: Who Gains and Who Loses under the Better Care Reconciliation Act

On July 11, 2017, we released our analysis of the distributional effects of the tax and health care benefit changes that would occur under the proposed Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA). On July 13, the Senate leadership introduced a modified version of the bill. Here, we update our previous...

July 15, 2017
Linda J. BlumbergMatthew BuettgensJohn HolahanGordon B. Mermin
Brief
Individual Taxes

Who Gains and Who Loses under the Better Care Reconciliation Act

The proposed Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) would repeal large portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including most of its sources of revenue, and it would significantly change the Medicaid program and the private nongroup insurance market. We use the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy...

July 12, 2017
Linda J. BlumbergMatthew BuettgensJohn HolahanGordon B. MerminPhilip Stallworth
Brief
Federal Budget and Economy

Who Gains and Who Loses under the American Health Care Act

Congress is currently considering passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA). This bill would repeal large portions of the Affordable Care Act, including most of its sources of revenue, and would introduce significant changes to the Medicaid program and the private nongroup insurance market...

March 23, 2017
Linda J. BlumbergMatthew BuettgensJohn HolahanGordon B. MerminFrank Sammartino
Brief
Federal Budget and Economy

The ACA's "Cadillac" Tax Versus a Cap on the Tax Exclusion of Employer-Based Health Benefits: Is This a Battle Worth Fighting?

Opposition to the ACA’s “Cadillac” tax is growing. This excise tax applies to employer health benefits exceeding a threshold. There has been broader support over time for a cap on the tax exclusion of employer contributions to health insurance, including from many who now want to repeal the...

October 22, 2015
Linda J. BlumbergJohn HolahanGordon B. Mermin
Research report
Federal Budget and Economy

The ACA's "Cadillac" Tax Versus a Cap on the Tax Exclusion of Employer-Based Health Benefits: Is This a Battle Worth Fighting?

Opposition to the ACA’s “Cadillac” tax is growing. This excise tax applies to employer health benefits exceeding a threshold. There has been broader support over time for a cap on the tax exclusion of employer contributions to health insurance, including from many who now want to repeal the...

October 21, 2015
Linda J. BlumbergJohn HolahanGordon B. Mermin
Brief
Federal Budget and Economy

The President's Health Care Proposal Misses the Point

President Bush's new health care proposal ignores the most important problems in the current health care system: a lack of guaranteed affordable, accessible, and adequate insurance coverage for those with modest incomes or with high health needs. The proposal's focus on limiting the tax...

February 1, 2007
Linda J. BlumbergJohn Holahan
Testimony
Federal Budget and Economy

Health Savings Accounts and Tax Preferences for High Deductible Policies Purchased in the Non-Group Market

This testimony was presented before the the House Small Business Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs. Linda Blumberg addresses Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and HR 3901, a proposal to make private non-group premiums for the high-deductible health plans associated...

March 18, 2004
Linda J. Blumberg
Commentary
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

HSAs Won't Cure Medicare's Ills

Here's one message from the new "bipartisan" Medicare bill being debated in Congress: low-income elderly people are having a hard time paying for their prescription drugs, so we need...another tax cut for rich people! Today's tax cut for rich people—health savings accounts (HSA)—has been all but...

November 21, 2003
Leonard E. BurmanLinda J. Blumberg
Brief
Federal Budget and Economy

Health Insurance Tax Credits

Tax credits are being touted as possible mechanisms for expanding health insurance coverage in the United States. Analysts, members of Congress, and the Bush administration have all developed tax credit proposals in the past few years. However, although tax credit approaches are clearly...

August 1, 2001
Linda J. Blumberg