Brian Blase and Theo Merkel referenced in Politico – June 17, 2024

On June 17, 2024, Paragon’s research paper “Follow the Money: How Tax Policy Shapes Health Care,” by Brian Blase and Theo Merkel, was the leading story in PoliticoPulse.

From the article:

Premiums for employer insurance plans aren’t typically taxable, which incentivizes employers to offer more generous plans. The Paragon Health Institute, a conservative think tank led by former Trump policy adviser Brian Blase, has argued that Congress should allow the tax credits to expire after 2025, saying the Affordable Care Act didn’t intend to fully subsidize plans for enrollees.

If that were to happen, Blase and Theo Merkel of Paragon recently argued, Congress should cap the tax exclusion at 125 percent of the average value of an employer plan as part of broader reform. They contend it would reduce wasteful spending by disincentivizing unnecessarily robust coverage and, in turn, allow employers to offer higher wages.

“We think this is a modest way to ensure that people can still receive assistance for purchasing health insurance through their employer, but at the top end, rein in some of the excesses,” Merkel told Pulse.

The full article can be found in Politico.