Nine Democratic senators and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation Thursday to repeal an ObamaCare tax on high-cost health insurance plans, adding their weight behind a rare bipartisan effort to change part of the health care law.
The bill would do away with the law's so-called "Cadillac tax," a steep new tax scheduled to kick in about two years from now. It would apply to health insurance plans where total spending exceeds $10,022 for an individual or $27,500 for a family. Surveys have estimated that it could affect as many as one-quarter of all employers who offer health benefits.
Republicans have long wanted to ditch the Cadillac tax, but now more Democrats are worried about how it could affect the ability of employers to offer cushier plans to those who want them. Hillary Clinton has called for repealing the tax as part of her presidential campaign. Sanders, who is also seeking the White House, signed onto the bill rolled out Thursday.
"Some have said that this tax only falls on 'Cadillac' health care plans, but the reality is that the plans this bill will tax are more like Chevrolets," Sanders said in a statement. "Workers have fought hard to negotiate decent healthcare benefits, often in exchange for lower pay. This excise tax unfairly punishes them. It has got to be replaced."
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