Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Law Opponents Motivated By Cadillac Tax Delay
December’s omnibus budget package contained a measure to delay a provision of the Affordable Care Act by two years is giving finance chiefs some extra time to prepare. The tax on high-cost employee health plans puts employers on the hook for a 40% levy on any excess cost of health plans above certain thresholds. Even before the delay, many companies and municipalities had already begun to assess whether their plans would trigger additional payments and make preemptive changes to avoid it. (Murphy, 1/4)
President Barack Obama’s willingness to sign a year-end spending package that suspended more than $30 billion worth of taxes mandated by the health care law will energize opponents' efforts to further alter his signature legislative achievement, though the most significant changes may have to wait until after the elections. (Attlas, 1/4)
Meanwhile, in Kansas, a woman becomes a poster child for the health law, which she says helped her with her business —
A Lawrence businesswoman has become somewhat of a poster child for the Affordable Care Act. ... On a recent trip back to Kansas, [Kathleen] Sebelius had lunch at the Ladybird and heard [Meg] Heriford’s story, which she now relates to audiences whenever she’s asked to speak about the ACA and the difference it’s making in people’s lives. (McLean, 1/4)
