By Reducing the Income of Poorer Americans, the Senate Tax Bill May Worsen Health Outcomes
<p>The Senate will vote this week on a $1.5 trillion Republican tax proposal that could have major effects on health outcomes.</p><p>In a new post on <em>To the Point</em>, the Commonwealth Fund’s Shanoor Seervai and David Blumenthal, M.D., explain that, along with increasing the number of uninsured through its repeal of the individual mandate, the tax bill would harm people’s health in other ways. By lowering the incomes of the poorest Americans, the tax bill could worsen existing disparities in life expectancy and health status. Moreover, the tax cuts will increase the deficit, inevitably triggering cuts in vital public programs that keep millions of people—especially those with low and moderate incomes—healthy. </p>
<p>“The Senate tax bill is not only a tax bill, it’s also a health care bill,” the authors say. “Its passage would lead to poorer health and more inequality.”</p>