Taxes and Health Insurance

Jonathan Gruber ()

No 8657, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: A common prescription for reducing the number of uninsured is to increase the tax subsidization of health insurance in the U.S. Yet, we already provide over $100 billion per year in tax subsidies to health insurance. This paper provides an assessment of the past and potential impacts of taxation on health insurance coverage and costs. I begin by reviewing the central facts on health insurance and taxation. I then provide a framework for assessing the impacts of tax policies on health insurance coverage and costs, and I review the existing empirical evidence on the key behavioral parameters required to model these impacts. I conclude with the policy implications of these findings for tax policies to expand insurance coverage.

JEL-codes: H2 I1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea, nep-ias, nep-pbe and nep-pub
Date: 2001-12
Note: HC PE
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Chapter: Taxes and Health Insurance (2002)
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