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AP

 - July 07, 2009

Senator: Lawmakers Having Second Thoughts on Taxing Health Care Benefits

Sen. Kent Conrad says polling shows widespread public opposition to the idea, and lawmakers are now considering other options to help pay for an expansion of care to millions of people who now lack insurance. 

WASHINGTON -- A key lawmaker says senators at work on health care legislation are having second thoughts about imposing a tax on high-end insurance coverage that workers receive on the job. 

Sen. Kent Conrad says polling shows widespread public opposition to the idea, and lawmakers are now considering other options to help pay for an expansion of care to millions of people who now lack insurance. 

The North Dakota Democrat did not go into details Tuesday. 

In a compilation of four public opinion polls shown to lawmakers, opposition to taxing health care benefits ranged from 59 percent to 70 percent. In private talks, lawmakers have been discussing a tax on workers who receive coverage that has particularly high premiums.

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