[TomGuy]

It seems that this could be detrimental.

Companies could drop health plans because individuals would have access to the tax deduction. A boon for companies.

Insurance companies would benefit by providing individual, rather than group, plans. Individual policies derive greater premiums.

Employees could see their company dropping insurance coverage, and they could be forced into individual, rather than group, plans at increased premiums.

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CAUTION: This could turn out to be as big a fiasco for the employee as the Medicare Prescription Drug bill was for seniors.

[damper99]

Probably will have the same effect as tuition tax breaks and such. Just like colleges jack up the price to offset the tax break, so will insurance companies raise the premiums. Don't you just love the not-free market at work?

[Arizona Carolyn]

TomGuy, work in the medical industry. Part D is actually savng Medicare money because more patients are getting prescriptions they could not afford prior which forced many into the hospitals and on IV's that Medicare would not cover in a doctors office if a oral drug was available... by these patients being able to afford prescriptions they have been able to better manage chronic diseases (heart, diabetes, etc.) and require fewer office and hospital visits as a result.

Part D is also working because the free market and competition is keeping the prices of drugs lower.

I agree with the first part of your statement.

[Alia]

Yours is what I'm seeing too. Dems have already proposed we need more taxes. If folks can deduct their Medicaid, is this not a different kind of relief to Joe Citizen? Yes, it is.