Daily Policy Digest
Health Issues
November 17, 2009
HIGHER HEALTH TAXES IN NEW YORK?
New York's state Senate Democrats are considering up to $1 billion in new taxes on medical services as an alternative to health care spending cuts in Governor Paterson's deficit reduction plan, according to the New York Fiscal Watch (NYFW).
Such a tax would add to what is already a heavy and fast-growing burden. Using projected revenues for 2009-10, New York's current array of special taxes and fees under the Health Care Reform Act (HCRA) includes:
- $2.242 billion in surcharges on health care providers.
- $1.165 billion from the covered lives assessment on health insurance policies.
- $306 million in hospital assessments.
- $131 million from a newly enacted tax on non-profit HMOs.
All of which comes to $3.8 billion -- up $1.4 billion, or 56 percent, in just the past four years. Collections from the covered lives assessment alone have nearly doubled since 2005-06, says NYFW.
This year, in fact, health care taxes and fees will total at least $1 billion more than total receipts from New York's principal general business tax, the state corporation franchise tax, says NYFW.
Source: E.J. McMahon, "Higher Health Taxes in NY?" New York Fiscal Watch, November 16, 2009; and Fredric U. Dicker, "NY Eyes $1B Tax Slap on Health," New York Post, November 16, 2009.
For NY Fiscal Watch text:
http://www.nyfiscalwatch.com/?p=2138
For NY Post text:
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/ny_eyes_tax_slap_on_health_D0Kwkd5SEDIZDerDTnzorI
For more on Health Issues:
http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?Article_Category=16
