National Journal: “Hillary Clinton on Tuesday called for a repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s ‘Cadillac’ tax, opposing a piece of Obama’s health care law for the first time.”
“Until now, Clinton has repeatedly stressed her support for the law, pointing to its successes and advocating for further implementation, such as Medicaid expansion. In doing so, she has planted herself in the middle of a debate that also features Sen. Bernie Sanders to the left advocating for a single-payer system and Republicans to the right who want to repeal and replace Obamacare in its entirety.”
Today’s Kaiser Family Foundation newsletter points to a new KFF poll showing that most Americans oppose the tax.
“Not surprisingly given the U.S. public’s general wariness of taxes, a majority (60%) opposes the Cadillac tax, which would affect higher-cost employer-sponsored health plans beginning in 2018. Republicans and independents are more likely to oppose the tax than Democrats, who may hold more favorable views of the tax due to its role in helping fund other parts of the Affordable Care Act, which Democrats widely favor.”
“The public’s views on the tax are somewhat fluid, and arguments for or against it can persuade some to shift their views, particularly when framed around the tax’s potential effect on health care costs.”